ESHS/HSS Annual Meeting

China’s Breakthroughs in Non-Accelerator High-Energy Physics: A Case Study of the Precise Measurement of the Neutrino Mixing Angle θ_13 by the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment

• In Event: The Evolution of Science and Technology in China: Tradition and Modernity in a Global Perspective 3

English Abstract

At the turn of the 21st century, China’s high-energy physics community formulated strategic development plans based on disciplinary advancements and global research trends. In addition to sustaining the international leadership of the Beijing Electron-Positron Collider and the Beijing Spectrometer in tau-charm physics research, a forward-looking initiative was proposed to advance non-accelerator high-energy physics experiments, with the goal of achieving globally influential scientific results. Using the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment as a case study, this presentation examines how China decided to advance non-accelerator high-energy physics. It forces particularly on the planning and approval process of the Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment, within the context of international neutrino physics experiment developments and competition. Furthermore, it also summarizes the specific innovations of the experiment and analyzes the breakthrough process in core technologies, such as liquid scintillator and photomultiplier.

Author

• Jinyan LIU, Institute for the History of Natural Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences