KM3NeT (Cubic Kilometre Neutrino Telescope)
Published on 07 Oct 2025
Scientists using the KM3NeT have detected a high-energy neutrino, a ghostly subatomic particle, marking a major step in understanding cosmic events.
KM3NeT (Cubic Kilometre Neutrino Telescope) is a European research infrastructure located at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea designed to detect high-energy neutrinos.
It consists of two large neutrino detectors placed at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea:
ARCA (Astroparticle Research with Cosmics in the Abyss) – Located 3.4 km deep near Sicily, Italy it is designed to detect high-energy neutrinos from cosmic sources.
ORCA (Oscillation Research with Cosmics in the Abyss) – Situated 2.4 km deep near Provence, France, it focuses on studying low-energy neutrinos and their oscillations.
Neutrinos are nearly massless, chargeless subatomic particles that interact very weakly with matter, making their detection extremely challenging.
KM3NeT detects the Cherenkov radiation produced when neutrinos interact with water molecules, helping scientists study cosmic events like supernovae and black holes.
