The PandaX Collaboration has been awarded an NSFC-funded international collaborative research grant for a project titled “Development of Key Techniques for Solar Neutrino Measurements with a Deep Underground Xenon Detector.” This project aims to advance neutrino physics by utilizing the facilities at the China Jinping Underground Laboratory (CJPL), the world’s deepest underground laboratory.
The project’s main objective is to develop a high-sensitivity xenon-based detector to study solar neutrinos, particularly pp neutrinos and ⁸B neutrinos. The research focuses on addressing key challenges, including reducing detector background noise, mitigating environmental and instrumental interference, and improving the detection and understanding of low-energy neutrino signals.
The PandaX Collaboration, led by Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), is joined by several international research groups specializing in neutrino physics. Drs. Alexander Chepurnov from Moscow State University and Andrey Oleinik from Belgorod State National Research University in Russia will provide expertise in ultra-low radioactivity materials and neutron generator technology. Japan's Tohoku University, represented by Dr. Atsuko Ichikawa, will provide R&D support on the low-background high-voltage generator as well as a special charge readout technique known as ELCC. The University of Warwick and the University of Liverpool in the United Kingdom, represented by Drs. Xianguo Lu and Constantinos Andreopoulos, will contribute to neutrino simulations and background mitigation techniques.
In addition to addressing technical challenges, the project is expected to play a key role in fostering larger-scale international collaborations at CJPL, advancing fundamental research in neutrino physics and strengthening global scientific partnerships.