Russian scientists have developed and patented two new compositions of a special glowing liquid that helps detect neutrinos — some of the most elusive particles in the Universe. Specialists from the Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences and Kabardino-Balkarian State University worked on the technology. According to researchers, the development can expand the capabilities of scientific facilities for studying elementary particles.
The main difficulty is that neutrinos hardly interact with ordinary matter. These particles freely pass through the human body and even the Earth's crust, leaving almost no traces. To detect them, scientists build huge detectors, including deep underground. A special liquid inside such installations allows for recording rare particle interactions by the resulting flashes of light.
Russian specialists have created, according to their data, the first liquid organic scintillator with dissolved zirconium, as well as a composition based on neodymium, characterized by high luminescence brightness. The more efficiently the material converts energy into light, the easier it is for the detector to capture weak signals and study rare physical processes.
The developments are intended for promising experiments in the field of neutrino physics. Previously, researchers had already created a three-liter prototype detector with a neodymium-containing liquid. Now, the new compositions can become the basis for more sensitive installations, including for research at the Baksan Neutrino Observatory.
Interest in this area has particularly grown after the announcement of the 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics, which was awarded for research into high-energy neutrinos. Russian scientists expect that their technology will help strengthen the country's position in experimental physics and the development of equipment for studying the Universe.