View of the Borexino particle detector ceiling
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Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso near the town of L'Aquila, Italy
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A break-through this month in detection of solar neutrinos with the Borexino particle physics experiment sheds new light on the Solar nuclear fusion process. The new findings enables scientists at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso to look at the majority of the fusion reactions in the sun's core in real time. Be sure to check out this article at space.com for further details.
The highly purified detector is comprised of 2200 extremely sensitive liquid pseudocumene scintillator detectors fitted in a large stainless steal vessel (photo). The primary aim of the experiment is to make a precise measurement of the beryllium-7 neutrino flux from the sun and comparing it to the Standard solar model prediction. This will allow scientists to further understand the nuclear fusion processes taking place at the core of the Sun and will also give insight in the exotic neutrino oscillations.