“Water is an ideal medium because it lets the light from Cherenkov radiation travel across the huge distances we need,” says Dr. Ken Clark, Physics, Engineering Physics & Astronomy. “By placing detectors far below the surface, we can reduce background noise and focus on signals from neutrinos themselves.”
Collaboration across continents
The McDonald Institute, based at Queen’s University, plays a central role as Canada’s network for astroparticle physics research. It provides engineering expertise, supports students and postdoctoral researchers, and coordinates the Canadian contribution to P-ONE. As part of that work, researchers are testing hundreds of photomultiplier tubes to evaluate their properties and ensure they can accurately record light signals. These sensors are the heart of the detector, and the team will lead the effort to prepare them for deployment.
P-ONE brings together more than 18 institutions from Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom, the United States, with six based in Canada. A key partner is Ocean Networks Canada, a national observatory that operates permanent seafloor infrastructure off the Pacific coast. Its network of undersea cables already supplies power and high-speed data links to instruments on the ocean floor, giving P-ONE the infrastructure it needs to function as a detector.
“It is incredible to be part of a project that connects so many people across countries and disciplines,” says Dr. Clark. “When we work together on something this ambitious, it feels like we are expanding what science can accomplish.”
A vision for discovery
In the years ahead, P-ONE could reveal new sources of high-energy neutrinos and reshape our understanding of the universe. The results may deepen what is known about neutrinos and uncover surprises no other observatory has yet seen.
“The dream is to find a source we didn’t know about before,” says Dr. Park. “Even if we simply add new data, it will be a huge contribution to science.”
Learn more about the Pacific Ocean Neutrino Experiment.