Sneak into the mysterious laboratory "SNOLAB" conducting research on "dark matter (dark matter)"

Approximately 25% of the materials that make up the universe are mysterious substances that human beings can not recognize "Dark matter (dark matter)It is said that it is. Canada's research institute conducting research on this dark matter etc. "SNOLAB"The international news media · Motherboard is going to cover the interview, and that state is released in movies.

SNOLAB: Inside the Dark Matter Lab Buried Over a Mile Underground - YouTube


Places like underground tunnel


It says "evacuation place" in the aisle.


"Inside of SNOLAB"


SNOLAB is located in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.


It is Mr. Kate Runau of Motherboard to go to the laboratory. It is still going to the laboratory from 6 am when the outside is dark.


SNOLAB visiting this time is one of the "research institutes deep underground in the world" built on the side of the nickel mining pit located 2 km underground.


In this laboratory, research on several particles constituting the universe is carried out.



Arrived at SNOLAB.


To go to the laboratory, you need to wear work clothes to be worn by coal mine workers.


Then, get on the same elevator as the coal mining worker and get off to underground 7000 feet (about 2100 m).


It seems that nickel and copper can be picked up at the mining pit, but after getting off the elevator, I will aim for the laboratory further by walking for about 1, 2 km.


In the midst of arriving, it finally arrived at an appearance aisle like a laboratory.


In order to enter the laboratory, it is necessary to clean all the dirt attached through the tunnel, so wash the shoes ......


We also disinfect and sterilize what we bring to laboratory equipment such as photographic equipment.


In addition, I also changed work clothes to clean one thoroughly.


Then, somehow, the man who can be lifted by the lift appears.


The man was inside was a detector for detecting neutrinos using ultrapure water.



A picture of the detector will be displayed.


Erica Caden, a researcher at SNOLAB, explains this experiment.


Neutrinos are elementary particles produced by nuclear reactions occurring in the sun.


Neutrinos are known to be difficult to observe despite constantly passing through the earth.


As Lunau asked "Why do you investigate neutrinos?", "Since neutrinos contain a lot of information on" the reaction that caused the occurrence of neutrinos ", many things can be done by examining this We have been studying neutrinos for decades, but neutrinos still have a lot of mysteries, "Kayden said.


Professor Takayosuke Kajita of the University of Tokyo Cosmic Ray Research Laboratory and Professor Emeritus McDonald's of Queen's University of Canada received the Nobel Prize in Physics Prize in 2015, in the discovery of neutrino oscillations indicating that neutrinos have mass, this SNOLAB He was also involved in the study. Mr. Keiden's research team has expanded the scope of its research and seems to be investigating "earth neutrino" generated from the inside of the earth.


Continue to the area where you are conducting research on dark matter.


This device is a device for detecting dark matter which nobody has discovered yet.


Ken Clark will explain the research on SNOLAB's dark matter.


Dark matter is a word that certainly exists but it is still a substance that human beings can not recognize. 27% of the substances that make up the universe are considered to be this dark matter.


Although scientists have been studying dark matter for decades, SNOLAB said they hoped that dark matter could be detected in the second half of this year. However, if it can not be found, it is necessary to devise a new detection method.


There seems to be 150 people working at all times in SNOLAB, but there are many rules here. For example, it is impossible to bring in a mobile phone and Wi-Fi is not blown, so researchers working at SNOLAB may fall into real illusion as if isolated from real life. It is also necessary to open the door by mistake and to not disturb research and experiments, Mr. Lunau.


Not only scientists work in the laboratory. Some people cleanse the laboratory, and Brenda Laurin is one such cleaner.


I do not know whether it is used for experiments or for equipment used in experiments, but every nut is cleaned finely.


Wash the tank carefully with a washing solution.


"This is the coolest thing," before Mr. Lunau muttered ......


The space that could look down at the laboratory from the top was spreading.


In the area I came to follow, the petri dish was projected ... ...


In the fridge containing the petri dish "Biosafety Level 1The biosafety level projected to laboratories and institutions handling bacteria, viruses, microorganisms, pathogens, etc., was protruding.


Mr. Chris Tomi, who works here, said that "cosmic rays and radioactive substances that exist on Earth are"Background radiationWe are investigating the influence of "and how to remove them.


In the experiments, we exposed white fish eggs and investigated the growth rate. According to Mr. Chris, there were some that showed better growth than others. Since humans live in the state of being exposed to background radiation in the first place, if human beings are forced to live in the basement and they are no longer exposed to background radiation, there is a possibility that harmful effects on organisms may occur Chris says.


Subsequently, researcher Thomas Merritt appeared and surprised by research facilities of 500 million dollars (about 56 billion yen) to do the work said "It will be very worn out."


Experiments using Drosophila were performed here.


In addition, SNOLAB received funds of several million dollars from the Canadian government, and will continue to engage in research to unravel the mysteries of the universe.