The Hindu Print Edition

Mumbai, May 2. (PTI):The two volume feasibility report on the India Based Neutrino Observatory (INO) was on Sunday formally presented to the Centre by the physicists from all over the country at a scientific meeting at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) here.

The report on the Rs 500 crore project of the country's hi-tech Neutrino Observatory was given to Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar by the Neutrino Collaboration Group (NCG) formed by 17 institutes and universities.

Neutrinos are part of a set of elementary particles which form the basic constituent of matter in nature. They are very light (almost mass-less) elusive and have no electric charge and hardly interact with matter.

The INO will be located either in Rammam near Darjeeling or at Masinagudi between Ooty and Mysore under a depth of more than 1500 m while the detectors will be made of iron called weighing 50,000 tonnes (costing around Rs 205 crore), INO Chief Coordinator Naba K Mondal said.

INO could also be used in studying geosciences, material application, monitoring nuclear tests and biological activities of microbes, he said.

Justifying the need for an INO, he said very important developments have recently occurred in neutrino physics and neutrino astronomy with far-reaching consequences.

If approved, this will be the largest basic science project undertaken by Indian scientists.

A large number of scientists and engineers will be needed to construct and operate this detector.

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