China Jinping Underground Laboratory

"CJPL" redirects here. For the community radio station, see CJPL-FM.
China Jinping Underground Laboratory
中国锦屏地下实验室
EstablishedDecember 12, 2010 (2010-12-12)
Field of research
Dark matter physics
DirectorCheng Jianping[1]
FacultyZeng Zhi
Ma Hao
Li Jianming
Wu Qifan[1]
LocationMianning County[2]: 3 , Sichuan, China
28°09′12″N 101°42′41″E / 28.15323°N 101.7114°E / 28.15323; 101.7114[3]
Owner
Yalong River Hydropower Development Company[4]
Operating agency
Tsinghua University
Websitejinping.hep.tsinghua.edu.cn

The China Jinping Underground Laboratory (Chinese: 中国锦屏地下实验室; pinyin: Zhōngguó jǐn píng dìxià shíyàn shì) is a deep underground laboratory in the Jinping Mountains of Sichuan, China. The cosmic ray rate in the laboratory is under 0.2 muons/m2/day,[5] placing the lab at a depth of 6720 m.w.e.[6]: 2  and making it the best-shielded underground laboratory in the world.[7]: 17  The actual depth of the laboratory is 2,400 m (7,900 ft), yet there is horizontal access so equipment may be brought in by truck.

Although the marble through which the tunnels are dug is considered "hard rock", at the great depth it presents greater geotechnical engineering challenges[8][9]: 16–27 [10]: 16–19  than the even harder igneous rocks in which other deep laboratories are constructed.[11]: 13–14  The 10 MPa (1500 psi; 99 atm) water pressure in the rock is also inconvenient. But marble has the advantage for radiation shielding of being low in radionuclides,[12][13] such as 40K, 226Ra, 232Th,[7]: 17  and 238U.[14]: 16  This in turn leads to low levels of radon (222Rn) in the atmosphere.[15]: 5 

The laboratory is in Liangshan in southern Sichuan, about 500 km (310 mi) southwest of Chengdu.[7]: 3  The closest major airport is Xichang Qingshan Airport, 120 km (75 mi) away by road.[9]: 5 

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Zeng11 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Neutrino opportunities at Jinping (PDF). May 28, 2015. Retrieved 2015-12-24.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference README was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference taup2013 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Flux was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Phase2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference PandaX was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference RockGeotech was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Status2013 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference TAUP2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ Zhao, Zhihong (2015-06-05). Geological conditions and geotechnical feasibility. 2015 Workshop of Jinping Neutrino Program. Tsinghua University. Archived from the original on 2015-12-08. Retrieved 2015-08-15.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference Chui10 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference Strickland was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Pocar, Andrea (8 September 2014). Searching for neutrino-less double beta decay with EXO-200 and nEXO (PDF). Neutrino Oscillation Workshop. Otranto. Retrieved 2015-01-10.
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference July2016 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).