Sudbury Neutrino Observatory Laboratory (SNOLAB)

How physics is a key to easy-to-build ventilators

kvd1 — Tue, 05 May 2020 02:59:00 +0000

A team of Canadian physicists, including Nobel Laureate Art McDonald and other Queen’s physics researchers, are part of an international team working to develop a robust, easy-to-manufacture ventilator that can be certified and manufactured with off-the-shelf parts from established supply chains.

Confronting COVID-19

Tags:

Art McDonald

Arthur McDonald

Nobel Prize

Ventilator

Canadian Nuclear Laboratories

Advancing Canada’s research infrastructure

kvd1 — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 16:37:36 +0000

On Friday, at SNOLAB, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, recognized the key role of research infrastructure by announcing more than $628 million to support 19 research infrastructure projects at institutions across the country, including two research facilities affiliated with Queen’s University.

Research Funding

The SNO+ Detector

kvd1 — Tue, 31 May 2022 14:16:20 +0000

Alex Wright for the SNO+ Collaboration

The SNO+ experiment studies the fundamental properties of neutrinos. The detector consists of an active volume of 780 tonnes of liquid scintillator housed within a 12-metre diameter acrylic vessel that is held in place by ropes and viewed by an array of about 10,000 photomultiplier light detectors. In this image, taken by a camera embedded in the photomultiplier array, the detector is illuminated only by light from the clean room at the top of the vessel neck, producing a beam effect. The SNO+ experiment is currently collecting data, carrying on the work of the Nobel-prize winning Sudbury Neutrino Observatory.

Location of photograph:

SNOLAB, Sudbury, Ontario

Submission Year:

2022

Nobel Laureates share their thoughts on research success

kvd1 — Fri, 11 Oct 2019 17:36:14 +0000

A sold-out crowd packed Queen’s University’s Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts for the rare opportunity to hear two Nobel Laureates discuss their roads to research success, together with Canada’s Chief Science Advisor Mona Nemer, and award-winning journalist and author André Picard.

Research Event

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Nobel Prize Inspiration Initiative at Queen's University

kvd1 — Fri, 11 Oct 2019 17:02:58 +0000

The path to research success includes many ups and downs and can take you to unexpected places. On September 25th, 2019, Queen’s University hosted the Nobel Prize Inspiration Initiative, featuring Martin Chalfie, 2008 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry. In a public dialogue moderated by preeminent journalist, André Picard, Dr. Chalfie was joined by Queen’s researcher Dr. Arthur McDonald, 2015 Nobel Laureate in Physics, and Dr. Mona Nemer, Chief Science Advisor to the Government of Canada, to discuss the path to the Nobel Prize and research success.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sm8sRfBTOI

Starting a scintillating search: SNO’s second act looks for neutrinos closer to home

moonr — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 19:39:31 +0000

Over the last decade, the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) has reinvented itself as SNO+. Led by Mark Chen, the Gordon and Patricia Gray Chair in Particle Astrophysics, the project has taken advantage of a unique piece of research infrastructure and set out on a new mission.

Over the last decade, SNO+ has taken advantage of a unique piece of research infrastructure and set out on a new mission.

Dark Matter Detectives: The Hunt for the Missing Mass of the Universe

moonr — Tue, 24 Sep 2019 19:04:08 +0000

Three Queen’s particle astrophysics researchers – Gilles Gerbier, Wolfgang Rau, and Tony Noble – are detectives and leaders in the international hunt for dark matter, which makes up about 85% of matter in the universe.

Nobel Prize Laureates to inspire at public event

kvd1 — Sat, 21 Sep 2019 22:12:39 +0000

For early- and mid-career scientists, the ascent toward research success is a rewarding but at times daunting climb. On Wednesday, Sept. 25, the Queen’s community has a chance to hear from two researchers who have reached one of the world’s highest academic peaks: receiving the Nobel Prize.

Research Event

Tags:

Arthur McDonald

Nobel Prize

Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO)

dark matter

A Nobel pursuit

moonr — Wed, 26 Jun 2019 18:03:00 +0000

Connor Stone, PhD Candidate (Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy)

Stone specializes in galaxy physics and is the coordinator of the Queen’s Observatory and says that he is honoured to have been given the opportunity to meet and speak with so many of the world’s top minds in physics.

Student Research

Art McDonald: Path to the Nobel

moonr — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 18:00:16 +0000

Discover how Queen’s Professor Emeritus Dr. Arthur McDonald, a team of Canadian and international scientists, and SNOLAB unlocked the mysteries of neutrinos, redefined the basic laws of particle physics and won a Nobel Prize in the process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RBg7uvn63k

How to Clean a Neutrino Detector

kvd1 — Fri, 01 Feb 2019 19:37:47 +0000

Mark Chen

Research Associate and adjunct faculty member Dr. Peter Skensved is the only person to ever access the top of the Acrylic Vessel of the SNO+ neutrino detector, the upgraded Sudbury Neutrino Observatory. He performed a small modification and is seen in the photo polishing the surface. To reach this location required him to be first lowered onto the back of the structure (not visible) which supports the thousands of light sensors seen behind him in the photo, and then to squeeze through a narrow opening to be further lowered onto the transparent 12-metre diameter acrylic sphere.

Location of photograph:

SNOLAB, Sudbury, Ontario

Submission Year:

2015-16

DEAP Dreams

kvd1 — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 16:48:07 +0000

Connor Stone

During my Undergraduate and Master’s program I was heavily involved in the construction and analysis for DEAP-3600 (dark matter experiment). Featured is the detector nearly completed construction. The copper cylinders conduct heat to keep the light sensors warm, as the liquid argon is around -200 Celsius! Between the copper cylinders are white plastic blocks that are insulation and shielding from background radiation that might masquerade as dark matter. The three stylized images are generated using a neural network that takes a style from another painting. The most recognizable one is in the style of Van Gogh’s Starry Night.

Location of photograph:

SNOLAB, Sudbury ON

Submission Year:

2017-18

Dark Matter and What Goes Bump in the Night

stratg — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 18:57:05 +0000

Dr. Joseph Bramante is an Assistant Professor at Queen's in the Department of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy. He is also a Visiting Fellow at the Perimeter Institute and a member of the new, Arthur B. McDonald Canadian Astroparticle Physics Research Institute at Queen’s. His research focuses on constructing theories that describe fundamental physics and finding new ways for humans to test those theories.

Centre for Advanced Computing

stratg — Thu, 04 Oct 2018 14:34:36 +0000

Window on a Window to the Universe

stratg — Mon, 01 Oct 2018 20:32:43 +0000

Mark Chen

An underwater camera mounted in the SNO+ (Sudbury Neutrino Observatory) neutrino detector captures a snapshot image when the 12-metre diameter acrylic sphere is 85% full. Viewed from below, ropes are seen crisscrossing the top of the sphere extending down (foreground), and each of the shiny cells that are visible is a 20-cm diameter super-sensitive light detector. The water-air interface inside and outside the acrylic spherical tank creates visual distortions as light refracts at the optical boundary. Once full, the upgraded detector turns on in Fall 2016, ten years after the original SNO detector completed its Nobel-prize winning studies.

Location of photograph:

SNOLAB, Sudbury, Ontario

Prize name:

Second prize

Submission Year:

2016-17