1. What is INO?

The India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) is a proposed pure-Science underground laboratory. Its primary goal is to study the properties and interactions of weakly interacting, naturally occurring particles, called neutrinos. The objectives of the study are appended in simple layman's language at the end of this FAQ. There is world-wide interest in this field due to its implications for several diverse and allied fields such as particle physics, cosmology and the origin of the Universe, energy production mechanisms in the Sun and other stars, etc.

Several groups belonging to different Universities and research Institutes in India are part of the collaboration working on the details of INO. The current proposal focusses on neutrino detection with static detectors, to be placed deep underground at a site close to Masinagudi in the Nilgiri mountains of South India. A short account of the physics goals and implications is appended at the end of this FAQ.