China’s JUNO detector delivered record-precision neutrino scores after just 59 days, surpassing past experiments and hinting at possible new physics.
The JUNO detector contains 20,000 tons of liquid in a central sphere.
Photo Credit: Yuexiang Liu/JUNO Collaboration
Deep underground in China, the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) has delivered results after only two months of data. JUNO's 20,000-tonne liquid detector has achieved the most precise measurements to date of two key neutrino oscillation parameters, improving on previous experiments. These “ghost particles” are notoriously hard to catch, so delivering world-class data so early is a milestone for particle physics. The initial findings have sparked excitement for what this giant detector will reveal next.
According to the study posted on the arXiv preprint server, JUNO's first results confirm that the solar neutrino mixing angle (θ12) and mass-squared difference (Δm^2_21) have been measured with far higher accuracy than ever before. After just 59 days of operation, JUNO narrowed these parameters with about 1.6 times the precision of earlier experiments.
Notably, JUNO's measurements reaffirm a slight (1.5σ) discrepancy between solar and reactor neutrino observations – a hint of possible new physics. Researchers call these results “world-leading” and say the detector is performing “exactly as designed”.
Physicists hope JUNO will use such precise data to tackle deeper questions. Neutrinos are unique: their tiny mass and oscillations are not predicted by the Standard Model, making them a rare portal to new physics.
Over its lifetime, JUNO may resolve the ordering of neutrino masses and even address the cosmic matter–antimatter puzzle. The detector will also hunt for other signals (from supernovae, Earth's core or rare decay processes) that could reveal physics beyond current theories.
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