800-mile-long 'DUNE' experiment could reveal the hidden dimensions of the universe

By Andrey Feldman published January 9, 2025

A new underground facility called DUNE, which will accelerate particles for 800 miles between Illinois and South Dakota, could reveal the hidden dimensions of the universe, new research suggests.



A technician stands Inside one of the protoDUNE detectors during its construction at CERN. Could the device reveal hidden dimensions of the universe? (Image credit: Max Brice/CERN)


For more than a century, scientists have been fascinated by the possibility that hidden, minuscule spatial dimensions could be influencing the physics of our familiar three-dimensional world. Despite decades of experimental searches, however, there has yet to be concrete evidence of these extra dimensions. Now, a recent study proposes a way to advance this search: using the upcoming Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) to probe these hidden dimensions through neutrino behavior.

Neutrinos are among the universe's most elusive particles, earning them the nickname "ghost particles." There are three known types — or "flavors" — of neutrinos, each with a mass billions of times smaller than an electron's. These particles are remarkable in their ability to transform — or oscillate — into different flavors as they travel through space, even without interacting with other particles.

Studying neutrinos with DUNE

DUNE is a forthcoming neutrino oscillation experiment based in Illinois and South Dakota. "In this experiment, neutrinos are generated by a particle accelerator at Fermilab [in Illinois], travel a distance of 1,300 kilometers [800 miles], and are observed using a massive underground detector in South Dakota," Mehedi Masud, a professor at Chung-Ang University in South Korea and co-author of the study, told Live Science via email.

The experimental setup is ideal for studying neutrino oscillations. Neutrinos created in Fermilab's collisions — primarily muon neutrinos (one of the three flavors) — will traverse Earth to reach the South Dakota detector. Along the way, some of these particles are expected to transform into the other two flavors: electron neutrinos and tau neutrinos.

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https://www.livescience.com/physics-mathematics/particle-physics/800-mile-long-dune-experiment-could-reveal-hidden-dimensions-of-the-universe