The India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) project is an ambitious basic sciences research project aimed at studying the properties and interactions of the elusive elementary particles called neutrinos. It aims to build an underground laboratory at Bodi West Hills (BWH) in Theni District, Tamil Nadu, setting up the 51,000 ton Iron Calorimeter (ICAL) detector there, and establishing the Inter-Institutional Centre for High Energy Physics (IICHEP) at Madurai.

 

In addition to studying of neutrinos, the other experiments planned are as under:-

 

1. Search for 0-neutrino-2-beta decay in the heaviest naturally occurring isotope of tin viz. ¹²⁴Sn using a bolometer operating at milli-Kelvin temperature and

 

2. Search for Dark Matter using a scintillator such as CsI(Tl) operating at   cryogenic temperature.

 

 All these experiments require a low radiation background. There will only be naturally occurring radiation background which, though low, will be minimised further by shielding the cryogenic detectors.

 

The site at Pottipuram in Theni Dist., Tamil Nadu is a good site  for locating INO from the point of view of seismicity, minimum environmental impact and geographical location.  A public meeting was held, following a strong outreach programme, in 2010 where there was overwhelming support for the project. Presently large outreach programme has been undertaken involving;

 

(1) Interactions  in  schools  and  colleges  in  Madurai, Theni  and  a  few 

other districts;

 

(2)   Meetings with the press and TV channels; and

 

(3)  Arranging visits to the transit IICHEP campus at Madurai to see the recently commissioned 85 ton, 1/200^th scale prototype mini-ICAL  detector.

 

This information was provided by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, DrJitendra Singh in written reply to a question in LokSabha today.

 

 

****

 

BB/NK/JS

(Release ID: 1541068)