LAB LOGA page on LabLog, a review site (not the lab's official page)
VAGINS Lab (Kavli IPMU)
Machine-translated · View original
A lab that uses Super-Kamiokande to detect neutrinos from past supernovae.
AboutAbout the lab
Reading the history of the universe through neutrinos
The VAGINS Lab studies new ways of observing neutrinos through experiments in astroparticle physics.
The lab works both on improving the capabilities of existing detectors such as Super-Kamiokande and on designing and building future research facilities.
One of its major goals is to detect, for the first time, the background neutrinos arriving from past supernova explosions.
These neutrinos are expected to reveal the evolution of the universe, the average rate at which stars have been formed, and even the lifetime of the neutrino.
Key terms
- Neutrino
- An elementary particle that has no electric charge and hardly interacts with other matter. Large numbers of them are produced inside stars and in supernova explosions.
- Supernova
- A huge explosion that a massive star undergoes at the end of its life. A large number of neutrinos are emitted at this time.
- Gadolinium
- One of the rare earth elements. It absorbs neutrons readily and emits gamma rays when it does.
ResearchResearch themes
The lab focuses on developing new means of observing neutrinos. Its work covers both improving the capabilities of existing detectors such as Super-Kamiokande and designing and building future facilities such as Hyper-Kamiokande.
*Illustrative imageNeutrinos from past supernovae
The lab develops new methods of observing neutrinos by upgrading existing detectors and building future facilities. Its main goal is to detect, for the first time, the background neutrinos produced by past supernova explosions.
*Illustrative imageSuper-Kamiokande loaded with gadolinium
By adding water-soluble gadolinium to the water in Super-Kamiokande, the lab captures neutrinos from past supernovae without building new equipment. This also makes other new physics possible, such as studying the oscillation of antineutrinos from nuclear reactors.
MembersFaculty
- ProfessorMark Robert Vagins
VoicesStudent voices
Ratings and reviews reflect the experiences of individual current or former students, not the lab's official views. Whether a lab has reviews, or how many, says nothing about the lab itself.
Students who take part in an interview may receive a thank-you gift worth ¥1,000, regardless of what they say.
Student ratings (0 students)
--
--
--
--
--
--
Student voices answer questions like these
- What's great about this lab?
- What did you learn after joining?
- What's the vibe, and what is the professor like?
- Who is this lab for?
- Where do graduates go?
Your experience can help younger students choose their lab. Your name won't be shown.
Write a lab reviewAnonymous · Your draft is saved if you stopThe information on this page is compiled by the LabLog team from the lab's public information and interviews. For corrections or removal requests, please contact LabLog, not the lab.
Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “SN 1987A (NIRCam image) (SN1987a-1)” NASA, ESA, CSA, M. Matsuura (Cardiff University), R. Arendt (NASA’s Goddard Spaceflight Center & University of Maryland, Baltimore County), C. Fransson (Stockholm University), J. Larsson (KTH Royal Institute of Technology), A. Pagan (STScI) / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Neutrinos from past supernovae: “Super Kamiokande, 1 to 135th” Motokoka / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Super-Kamiokande loaded with gadolinium: “Rareearthoxides” Peggy Greb, US department of agriculture / Public domain (cropped)
About LabLog
LabLog is a lab review app for students only. Student members at each university interview students in labs and publish what they say. Student voices can only be read by students who sign up with a university email address. Operated by bestiee Inc.
Learn more about LabLog ↗Search engines and AI may reference the basic lab info and rating summaries on this page and the description of LabLog. Student voices are for student members only. Automated collection by programs (scraping, or input to or training of AI) is prohibited under Article 8 of the Terms of Service. If you need data for research or analysis, please contact us.