·       Neutrinos are subatomic particles with intriguing properties.

·       They possess no electrical charge and have a very small mass, possibly even zero.

·       Despite being the most abundant particles in the universe, they interact very weakly with matter.

·       Neutrinos travel at speeds close to that of light, making them incredibly challenging to detect. Hence, they are often referred to as “ghost particles.”

·       Neutrinos are produced through various natural processes, such as nuclear reactions in the Sun and particle decays within the Earth, as well as in man-made environments like particle accelerators and nuclear reactors.

About IceCube Neutrino Observatory

·       The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is a groundbreaking scientific facility located near the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica.

·       It is the largest neutrino detector ever built, occupying a cubic kilometre of ice.

·       The primary objective of IceCube is to observe neutrinos originating from the most violent astrophysical sources, such as supernovae and black holes.

·       IceCube utilizes strings of digital optical modules (DOMs) embedded in the Antarctic ice to detect the elusive neutrinos.

·       In 2013, IceCube made headlines by presenting the first evidence of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos originating from cosmic accelerators.

India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) Project

·       The India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) Project is a significant endeavour aimed at advancing neutrino research.

·       It involves the construction of an underground laboratory situated in Pottipuram, within the Bodi West hills of the Theni District in Tamil Nadu, India.

·       The project is jointly funded by the Department of Atomic Energy and the Department of Science and Technology of the Indian government.

·       Once completed, INO will provide a unique platform for studying neutrinos and advancing our understanding of fundamental particle physics.