Facility provides “clean” space for the search for the invisible substance known as dark matter, scientists say
A physics laboratory 2,400 meters underground went into operation on Thursday (Dec 7, 2023) in Sichuan Province, southwest China, becoming the largest and deepest underground laboratory in the world.
Scientists believe the lab provides a “clean” space so they can search for the invisible substance known as dark matter. They reported that the extreme depth helps block most observation-disturbing cosmic rays.
The Deep Underground Ultra-Low Background Radiation Facility for Vanguard Physics Experiments (DURF) is located beneath Jinping Mountain in the Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province.
DURF, with a total room capacity of 330,000 cubic meters, is the second phase of China’s Jinping Underground Laboratory. The laboratory began construction in December 2020 jointly by Tsinghua University and Yalong River Hydropower Development Company, Ltd.
DURF will become a world-class interdisciplinary deep underground scientific research center integrating multiple disciplines, including particle physics, nuclear astrophysics and life sciences, to facilitate the development of China’s research in relevant cutting-edge fields, said Yue Qian, professor from Tsinghua University.
The 1st phase of China’s Jinping Underground Laboratory was completed and put into use at the end of 2010, with a room capacity of about 4,000 cubic meters. It has achieved a number of scientific breakthroughs, elevating direct dark matter detection experiments to an advanced level on the world stage.
With information from Xinhua
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