Spring 2025
Neutrinos: Detectors and Discoveries
Thomas Wester
Robert McCormick Fellow
Saturdays at 11am, March 29 - May 17, 2025
Location: Kersten Physics Teaching Center, 5720 South Ellis Avenue, room 106
Neutrinos are everywhere — they come from the earth, the atmosphere, the sun, and the cosmos, and are
produced at particle accelerators and nuclear reactors. These pervasive particles have surprised and
inspired physicists since their first detection in 1956, and have been the subject of four Nobel prizes to
date. Studying neutrinos has challenged us to build some of the world’s largest and most advanced particle
detectors, both to learn about neutrinos themselves and to gain insight into the intricate processes that
produce them.
This series will explore neutrinos and the incredible machines built to detect them. We will discuss what
makes neutrinos unique, neutrino experiments, and current unsolved questions to see how these tiny
particles may lead to the next big discoveries in physics.
This event is free and for the public. Attend in person or watch the livestream here!
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