Physicists Track and Trap the Elusive Neutrino

Physicists have developed increasingly sophisticated methods to detect neutrinos, nearly undetectable particles that pass through matter almost unimpeded, by building massive underground detectors filled with enormous quantities of specially prepared materials. Beginning with the first confirmed detection in 1956, scientists have used tanks of chlorine-based fluid and ultrapure water deep underground to catch the rare collisions between neutrinos and atomic nuclei. These audacious experiments have allowed physicists to observe neutrinos from stars and the sun, helping solve fundamental questions about nuclear physics and stellar processes.