Context:

Scientists are deploying two telescopes under the Mediterranean Sea to detect high-energy neutrinos (ghost particles), as part of the Cubic Kilometre Neutrino Telescope (KM3NeT).

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One telescope will focus on studying high-energy neutrinos from space, while the other will analyze neutrinos originating from Earth’s atmosphere.

These underwater telescopes work like the Ice Cube Neutrino Observatory in Antarctica, which detects neutrinos using ice. 

• However, water may provide better accuracy because it scatters light less than ice.

What Are Neutrinos?

• Neutrinos are tiny subatomic particles similar to electrons but have no electric charge.
• It is often called 'ghost particles' because they barely interact with anything else. 
• They can pass through almost anything, including entire planets, without being stopped. 
• They are one of the fundamental particles in the universe and are the second most abundant after photons.
• About a billion neutrinos pass through every cubic centimeter of space every second.

Why Study High-Energy Neutrinos?

• Rare and Valuable Information: High-energy neutrinos come from cosmic events like supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, and colliding stars.
• Studying Hidden Cosmic Phenomena: These neutrinos help scientists study areas obscured by dust, such as the center of the Milky Way, which is hard to observe with regular telescopes. 
• Understanding Cosmic Rays and Dark Matter: They may provide insights into how cosmic rays are produced and help in understanding dark matter.
• Potential for New Discoveries: Scientists believe studying these particles might lead to discoveries of unknown phenomena in the universe.

Challenges in Detecting High-Energy Neutrinos

• Neutrinos interact very weakly with matter, making them extremely difficult to detect.
• Despite billions of neutrinos around us, only about one will interact with a person’s body during their lifetime.
• Even after a decade of operation, the IceCube Observatory has only detected a few high-energy neutrinos.

Why Build Underwater Neutrino Telescopes?

Large Volume of Transparent Material: Neutrino detection requires a large amount of optically transparent material in a very dark place.

Detecting Cherenkov Radiation: When neutrinos interact with water or ice molecules, they produce flashes of light called Cherenkov radiation. These flashes help trace the neutrino’s path and determine its source.

Advantages of Water over Ice: Water scatters light less than ice, offering more precise information about the neutrino’s origin.

• However, water absorbs light more, which means there will be less light to study.