DUNE completes underground excavation in South Dakota for massive neutrino experiment

Fermilab-led Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment will tell us about the universe and how it works

State and federal leaders descended one mile underground in South Dakota to celebrate the next phase of the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility/Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment—an international project to study mysterious particles known as neutrinos, to address some of the biggest questions in science.

A ribbon-cutting event was held Aug. 15 at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) in Lead, South Dakota to mark the completion of three years of excavation work for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, which is an international project led by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.

The event, hosted by Fermilab (which is affiliated with the University of Chicago) and the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority, celebrated the excavation of two seven-story caverns for housing particle detectors, as well as a smaller central utility cavern.

The two detectors will each be filled with 17,000 tons of liquid argon, cooled to minus 184 degrees Celsius, to record and study the rare interactions of neutrinos—which will help answer questions such as why our universe contains matter, how an exploding star can create a black hole, and if neutrinos are connected to dark matter or other undiscovered particles.

“It is exciting to have so many people here today who have supported the excavation and construction of the project,” said Lia Merminga, director of Fermilab. “This is an important step in making LBNF/DUNE a world-class international underground science facility.”

Engineering, construction and excavation teams have worked 4,850 feet below the surface since 2021 at SURF to prepare the space needed for the experiment. Over 800,000 tons of rock were excavated and moved from underground to an expansive former surface mining area known as the Open Cut. In order to accomplish this feat, construction crews dismantled heavy mining equipment and, piece by piece, transported it underground. Workers then reassembled the machinery and have been blasting and relocating rock ever since.

“Today we celebrate this remarkable engineering feat and are grateful to the many people who worked to achieve this milestone,” said Derek Passarelli, U.S. Department of Energy Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Science & Innovation. “This is an extraordinary achievement given the nature of the underground excavation. The LBNF/DUNE endeavor, involving partners from the nation as well as from around the world, will bring together our collective minds and talents focused on tackling the most challenging questions about how our universe works.”

Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory and Sanford Underground Research Facility are working together for this international science project as part of a large collaboration comprised of more than 1,400 scientists and engineers from over 200 institutions in over 35 countries and the European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN.

“This important milestone is a great way to celebrate the world-class research, innovation, education, and economic opportunities happening here at America’s Underground Lab,” said Mike Headley, laboratory director at SURF and the executive director of the South Dakota Science and Technology Authority. “The research underway at SURF will extend well into this century; the impact of scientific advancements made here could last much longer. Our future is incredibly bright, and we are excited to help it unfold.”

—Adapted from a release published by Fermilab.

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Related Topics

Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment , Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory