PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

New method for detecting neutrinos

2025-07-30
(Press-News.org) Neutrinos are extremely elusive elementary particles. Day and night, 60 billion of them stream from the Sun through every square centimeter of the Earth every second, which is transparent to them. After the first theoretical prediction of their existence, decades passed before they were actually detected. These experiments are usually extremely large to account for the very weak interaction of neutrinos with matter. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics (MPIK) in Heidelberg have now succeeded in detecting antineutrinos from the reactor of a nuclear power plant using the CONUS+ experiment, with a detector mass of just 3 kg.

Originally based at the Brokdorf nuclear power plant, the CONUS experiment was relocated to the Leibstadt nuclear power plant (KKL) in Switzerland in the summer of 2023. Improvements to the 1 kg germanium semiconductor detectors, as well as the excellent measurement conditions at KKL, made it possible for the first time to measure what is known as Coherent Elastic Neutrino-Nucleus Scattering (CEvNS). In this process, neutrinos do not scatter off the individual components of the atomic nuclei in the detector, but rather coherently with the entire nucleus. This significantly increases the probability of a very small but observable nuclear recoil. This recoil caused by neutrino scattering is comparable to a ping-pong ball bouncing off a car, with the detection being the changing motion of the car. In the case of CONUS+, the scattering partners are the atomic nuclei of the germanium. Observing this effect requires low-energy neutrinos, such as those produced in large numbers in nuclear reactors.

The effect was predicted as early as 1974, but was first confirmed in 2017 by the COHERENT experiment at a particle accelerator. The CONUS+ experiment has now successfully observed the effect at full coherence and lower energies in a reactor for the first time, as described in a recent Nature research article. The compact CONUS+ setup is located 20.7 m from the reactor core (see Fig. 1). At this position, more than 10 trillion neutrinos flow through every square centimeter of surface every second. After approximately 119 days of measurement between autumn 2023 and summer 2024, the researchers were able to extract an excess of 395±106 neutrino signals from the CONUS+ data, after subtracting all background and interfering signals (see Fig. 2). This value is in very good agreement with theoretical calculations, within the measurement uncertainty. "We have thus successfully confirmed the sensitivity of the CONUS+ experiment and its ability to detect antineutrino scattering from atomic nuclei," explains Dr. Christian Buck, one of the authors of the study. He also emphasizes the potential development of small, mobile neutrino detectors to monitor reactor heat output or isotope concentration as possible future applications of the CEvNS technique presented here.

The CEvNS measurement provides unique insights into fundamental physical processes within the Standard Model of particle physics, the current theory describing the structure of our universe. Compared to other experiments, the measurements with CONUS+ allow for a reduced dependence on nuclear physics aspects, thereby improving the sensitivity to new physics beyond the Standard Model. For this reason, CONUS+ was already equipped with improved and larger detectors in autumn 2024. With the resulting measurement accuracy, even better results are expected. "The techniques and methods used in CONUS+ have excellent potential for fundamental new discoveries," emphasizes Prof. Lindner, initiator of the project and also an author of the study. "The groundbreaking CONUS+ results could therefore mark the starting point for a new field in neutrino research."

END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Respiratory viruses can wake up breast cancer cells in lungs

2025-07-30
JULY 30, 2025—Researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Cancer Center (MECCC), and Utrecht University have found the first direct evidence that common respiratory infections, including COVID-19 and influenza, can awaken dormant breast cancer cells that have spread to the lungs, setting the stage for new metastatic tumors. The findings published today in Nature, obtained in mice, were supported by research showing increases in death and in metastatic lung disease among cancer survivors infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. “Our findings indicate that individuals with a history of ...

Stroke center certification and within-hospital racial disparities in treatment

2025-07-30
About The Study: In this cohort study, the likelihood of receiving stroke treatments increased for white but not Black patients within the same facility after the center was stroke certified as a primary stroke center or a thrombectomy-capable or comprehensive stroke center. These within-hospital racial differences serve as sobering evidence that racial disparities in stroke care persist despite increased access to care.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Renee Y. Hsia, MD, MSc, email renee.hsia@ucsf.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/ (doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.24027) Editor’s ...

Mortality among surgeons in the United States

2025-07-30
About The Study: Although nonsurgeon physicians have lower mortality rates than other highly educated professionals, this mortality benefit does not extend to surgeons. Because surgeons and nonsurgeon physicians have similar levels of health care knowledge and resources, higher mortality rates among surgeons might reflect differences related to work environment, professional demands, and lifestyle. The results of this study indicate that several causes of death (e.g., motor vehicle collisions), disproportionately affect surgeons, aligning ...

Carbon 'offsets' aren't working. Here's a way to improve nature-based climate solutions

2025-07-30
A lot of the climate-altering carbon pollution we humans release into the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels gets drawn into Earth’s oceans and landscapes through natural processes, mostly through photosynthesis as plants turn atmospheric carbon dioxide into biomass. Efforts to slow the climate crisis have long sought to harness nature, often through carbon “offsets,” aimed at bolstering forests, wetlands, and agriculture, but have generally had only marginal success so far. A new approach: contributions ...

Preserving and promoting clinical trial representativeness

2025-07-30
About The Study: This review synthesizes the latest policies and initiatives concerning representation in clinical research and provides a strategic framework to ensure scientific validity of clinical trials by operationalizing broad representation at all levels. A coordinated approach among stakeholders is needed to address the scientific value of trial representation of the intended use population. Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Roxana Mehran, MD, email roxana.mehran@mountsinai.org. To access ...

Study reveals mixed impact of state e-cigarette flavor bans on tobacco use

2025-07-30
A new study by investigators from Mass General Brigham examined the effects of policies banning flavored e-cigarettes on adults and young people. Investigators found that e-cigarette use significantly declined among young adults and adults in states that had enacted flavor bans relative to states that did not. However, declines in cigarette smoking also slowed in those states with flavor bans relative to other states—a potential unintended consequence of the bans. Results are published in JAMA Network Open. “Both ...

McMaster research offers promising new treatment for liver cancer

2025-07-30
Liver cancer cells thrive on fat, posing a serious risk of cancer diagnosis for millions of people living with fatty liver disease. But researchers at McMaster University in collaboration with Espervita Therapeutics have developed a promising new treatment that helps the immune system attack and destroy these tumours. The discovery, detailed in a study published in Nature on July 30, 2025, opens new possibilities for slowing tumour growth and empowering the body’s natural defences. This is particularly important, as current treatments for ...

Most US adults have hearts older than their actual age. How old is yours?

2025-07-30
CHICAGO --- Most U.S. adults have a “heart age” several years older than their chronological age — sometimes by more than a decade. And that gap is wider among men and among those with lower incomes or education or who identify as Black or Hispanic, according to a new study led by Northwestern Medicine. As part of the study, the Northwestern scientists created a free online tool that calculates a person’s “heart age” based on their risk for cardiovascular disease, using routine health data such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels and whether ...

JMIR Biomedical engineering invites submissions on voice phenotyping and vocal biomarkers

2025-07-30
(Toronto, July 30, 2025) JMIR Publications invites submissions to a new theme issue titled “Voice Phenotyping and Vocal Biomarkers” in its open access journal JMIR Biomedical Engineering. The premier, peer-reviewed journal is indexed in PubMed, PubMed Central, Scopus, DOAJ, Sherpa/Romeo, and EBSCO/EBSCO Essentials.   This Call for Papers is seeking high-quality submissions for a new e-collection on a leading-edge field that uses voice and speech analysis to advance the detection, monitoring, and treatment of health conditions.  This e-collection focuses on acoustic and ...

The metabolic dialogue between intratumoral microbes and cancer: implications for immunotherapy

2025-07-30
The tumor microenvironment (TME) represents a highly complex system that encompasses cellular components (such as cancer cells, stromal cells, and immune cells) and non-cellular components (such as blood vessels and signaling molecules)[1-3]. These diverse components engage in complex interactions with tumor cells and undergo dynamic changes during tumor progression. Specifically, intratumoral microbial metabolites play an important role on the TME. The metabolic products of these microorganisms encompass a range of bioactive molecules, including lactate, amino acids, short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), bile acids, trimethylamine N-oxide, and inosine. These metabolites, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Reevaluating nonoperative management for pediatric uncomplicated acute appendicitis

Metabolically active visceral fat linked to aggressive endometrial cancer, new study reveals

Scientists glimpse how enzymes “dance” while they work, and why that’s important

California partnership aided COVID-19 response and health equity, report finds

University of Oklahoma secures $19.9 million for revolutionary radar technology

Study finds restoring order to dividing cancer cells may prevent metastasis

High-accuracy tumor detection with label-free microscopy and neural networks

Wayne State research reveals fetuses exposed to Zika virus have long-term immune challenges

Researchers deconstruct chikungunya outbreaks to improve prediction and vaccine development

Study finds one-year change on CT scans linked to future outcomes in fibrotic lung disease

Discovery of a novel intracellular trafficking pathway in plant cells

New tool helps forecast volcano slope collapses and tsunamis

Molecular coating cleans up noisy quantum light

From Parkinson's to rare diseases, discovered a key switch for cellular health

Tiny sugars in the brain disrupt emotional circuits, fueling depression

Mini-organs reveal how the cervix defends itself

Africa, climate, and food: How to feed a continent without increasing its carbon footprint

Researchers demonstrates substrate design principles for scalable superconducting quantum materials

How better software choices could cut US health care costs

Concussion history in NCAA athletes yields mixed health outcomes

Counting plastic reveals hidden waste and sparks action

Warming oceans may pose a serious threat to American lobsters

Deaths from drug-induced unintentional injury rise across the US

In car crashes with pedestrians, age and zip code may predict extent of traumatic injuries

AI optimizes evacuation, diagnosis, and treatment of wounded soldiers in Ukraine

Mastectomy linked to worsened sexual health, body image after surgery

Drop in credit score after cancer diagnosis linked to increased mortality, study shows

Use of weight loss drugs before bariatric surgery has soared in recent years, study finds

EMS call times in rural areas take at least 20 minutes longer than national average

Rectal bleeding in young adults linked to 8.5 times higher risk of colorectal cancer

[Press-News.org] New method for detecting neutrinos