China's Underground Detector Reveals Breakthrough on Ghost Particles
WHO:
ABC News - The Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) team is involved in the research.
ABC News - Physicist Kate Scholberg from Duke University commented on the findings.
ABC News - Liangjian Wen is a co-author of the study and a member of the JUNO collaboration.
WHAT:
ABC News - The JUNO team unveiled its initial findings from two months of data collection, including some of the most precise measurements to date of how neutrinos switch between three varieties, or flavors.
ABC News - The initial results show that the detector “will be able to test the finer ripples” that separate the neutrino flavors and their masses, according to study co-author Liangjian Wen.
ABC News - The JUNO detector released its first major results from data collected over two months.
ABC News - The study published in the journal Nature includes precise measurements of how neutrinos switch between three varieties, or flavors.
ABC News - The detector is examining antineutrinos from collisions inside two nearby nuclear power plants.
ABC News - The initial results show the detector's capability to test the differences in neutrino flavors and their masses.
WHERE:
ABC News - The JUNO detector is located 2,297 feet (700 meters) underground in China.
WHEN:
ABC News - Data collection began in August.
ABC News - The initial findings were released on a Wednesday.
WHY:
ABC News - The goal of the JUNO detector is to understand neutrinos, which are tiny cosmic particles that date back to the Big Bang.
HOW:
ABC News - The detector examines antineutrinos that come from collisions inside two nearby nuclear power plants, producing a flash of light when they meet particles within the detector.
ABC News - The detector examines antineutrinos by detecting flashes of light produced when antineutrinos meet particles within the detector.
ABC News - Two similar neutrino detectors, Japan’s Hyper-Kamiokande and the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment in the United States, are set to begin data collection within the next decade to cross-check results.
(UPDATED June 10, 2026 19:51 UTC)
The JUNO team has unveiled its initial findings from two months of data collection, revealing some of the most precise measurements to date on how neutrinos switch between their three varieties, or flavors. According to study co-author Liangjian Wen, the results indicate that the detector will be able to test the finer ripples that separate these neutrino flavors and their masses. This groundbreaking detector examines antineutrinos produced from collisions inside two nearby nuclear power plants, generating a flash of light when they interact with particles within the device.
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(UPDATED June 10, 2026 17:57 UTC)
The JUNO detector, located 2,297 feet underground in China, has released its first major results from data collected over two months, showcasing its ability to measure how neutrinos switch between different flavors. Physicist Kate Scholberg from Duke University and co-author Liangjian Wen highlighted that the study, published in the journal Nature, focuses on antineutrinos from nearby nuclear power plants and aims to deepen our understanding of these tiny cosmic particles. Additionally, two similar neutrino detectors, Japan’s Hyper-Kamiokande and the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment in the United States, are set to begin data collection within the next decade to cross-check these findings.