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Experimental Particle Physics (Neutrino) Lab
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A lab that captures neutrinos deep underground in Kamioka to approach the mysteries of elementary particles and the universe.
AboutAbout the lab
Exploring the truth of the universe with neutrinos.
The Research Center for Neutrino Science has been observing the elementary particle called the neutrino with KamLAND, an experimental apparatus located underground in the Kamioka mine in Hida, Gifu Prefecture.
At KamLAND, research has been carried out on four topics: reactor neutrinos, neutrinos from inside the Earth, neutrinos from astronomical objects, and neutrinoless double beta decay.
KamLAND completed its observations in August 2024, and the detector is now being upgraded for KamLAND2, which will offer improved performance.
The lab also works on research and development for the future, including searches for axions and light dark matter.
Key terms
- Neutrino
- An extremely light elementary particle with no electric charge that passes through matter almost unimpeded. There are three types: electron, muon, and tau.
- Neutrino oscillation
- A phenomenon in which a neutrino repeatedly changes among the electron, muon, and tau types as it travels.
- Liquid scintillator
- A liquid that emits light when it captures a neutrino. KamLAND used 1,000 tons of it.
- Double beta decay
- A phenomenon in which two beta decays occur simultaneously in an atomic nucleus. The neutrinoless type has not yet been discovered, and the search continues.
NewsLab news
View More ↗ResearchResearch themes
Neutrinos exist in the universe in numbers larger by many orders of magnitude than other particles, and they are elementary particles of great importance for building grand unified theories of particle physics and for understanding how the universe came to be. Using KamLAND, an experimental apparatus underground in Kamioka, this lab has studied the properties of neutrinos, the interiors of the Earth and of astronomical objects, and extremely rare phenomena.
*Illustrative imageMeasuring Reactor Neutrino Oscillation
Deep underground in Hida, at an average distance of about 180 km from the reactors, the lab observed the electron antineutrinos emitted by nuclear reactors. By capturing neutrino oscillation, in which neutrinos change type as they travel, it contributed to solving the solar neutrino problem.
*Illustrative imageProbing the Earth's Interior with Neutrinos
By observing the electron antineutrinos emitted when uranium and thorium inside the Earth decay, the lab has investigated the origin of the Earth's internal heat. These observations created the field of neutrino geophysics and provided the first demonstration that the Earth is cooling.
*Illustrative imageObserving Neutrinos from Astronomical Objects
The lab has searched for correlations with solar flares, gamma-ray bursts, and gravitational waves. It holds that if a supernova explosion occurs nearby, it would be possible to issue an alert almost a week before the explosion.
*Illustrative imageSearching for Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay
To test the possibility that neutrinos make no distinction between particle and antiparticle, the lab has searched for neutrinoless double beta decay. It dissolved xenon-136 in liquid scintillator for the observation and carried out a highly sensitive search, although the decay has not yet been discovered.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Research Center for Neutrino Science consist of faculty, academic researchers, visiting researchers, professors emeritus, graduate research students, doctoral, master's, and bachelor's students, technical staff, administrative staff, and facility service staff.As of 2026
- ProfessorKunio Inoe
- Associate ProfessorKoji Ishidoshiro
- Associate ProfessorHiroko Watanabe
- Assistant ProfessorHanwook Bae
- Project Assistant ProfessorTakahiko Hachiya
- ProfessorYasuhiro Kishimoto
- Associate ProfessorMasayuki Koga
- Assistant ProfessorAtsuto Takeuchi
- Project Assistant ProfessorNanami Kawada
- ProfessorItaru Shimizu
- Associate ProfessorHaruo Ikeda
- Associate ProfessorKoichi Ichimura
- Associate ProfessorKazunori Ikeda
- Assistant ProfessorKeishi Hosokawa
- Project Assistant ProfessorKazumi Hata
- Project Assistant ProfessorHaruhiko Miyake
- Project Assistant ProfessorKeita Mizukoshi
- Project Assistant ProfessorDmitry Chernyak
- Project Assistant ProfessorShun Watanuki
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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: “The Daya Bay Antineutrino Detector ( )” Roy Kaltschmidt, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory / Public domain (cropped)
- Measuring Reactor Neutrino Oscillation: “Beaver Valley Nuclear Power Plant” United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission / Public domain (cropped)
- Probing the Earth's Interior with Neutrinos: “Geysir Geothermal Field, Haukadalur Valley, Iceland” Jakub Hałun / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Observing Neutrinos from Astronomical Objects: “Vela supernova - VST - Eso2214a” (Credit) ESO/TIMER survey / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Searching for Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay: “Photomultiplier Tube (PMT)” Motokoka / CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Experimental Particle Physics (Accelerator) Lab): “U.S. Department of Energy - Science - )” U.S. Department of Energy from United States / Public domain (cropped)
- Related lab (Low-Temperature Materials Science Lab): “Superconducting Magnetic Separator Cryostat” Antonín Ryska / CC0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Theoretical Particle Physics and Cosmology Lab): “Kedr-detector-inp-0811” Вадим Махоров / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
- Related lab (Surface Structure and Physical Properties Lab): “Sugar crystals” Masha Milshina / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
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