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this to occur, neutrinos must have some
mass, however small. This discovery
has shown physicists that the Standard
Model explaining the innermost
workings of matter “cannot be the
complete theory of the fundamental
constituents of the universe,” said the
Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
“New discoveries about [neutrinos’]
deepest secrets are expected to
change our current understanding of
the history, structure and future fate of
the universe.”
Chris Roussakis; Bottom photo courtesy SNOLAB Standard Model, our understanding
“Particle physicists have long
been working under the aegis of the
of the basic forces of nature,” said
Carleton’s Dean of Science, Malcolm
Butler, a particle physicist himself.
“There’s always been a hint of
something more. There’s still no direct

have mass — and such a light mass
— is not consistent with the Standard
Collaborating at SNOLAB (below) with Carleton physicist David Sinclair (right) helped evidence. But knowing that neutrinos
Art McDonald (left) win the Nobel Prize. Model. So now the universe is even
more interesting.”
The SNO experiment, which ran
Miniscule particles, massive from 1999 to 2006, brought together
150 scientists at any given time. Data
breakthrough analysis that led to the first SNO paper
confirming neutrinos have mass was
conducted at the High Performance
When Arthur B. McDonald was researcher who went on to found Computing Virtual Laboratory, a cluster
named co-winner of the Nobel Prize SNOLAB. “It’s great for Canadian of fast and powerful computers at
in Physics, the Queen’s University science,” Sinclair said to McDonald seven Ontario universities and colleges,
professor emeritus was quick to about the Nobel Prize. “What we did at including Carleton. Researchers are still
proclaim that he shares the award SNO was really pioneering.” interpreting results from SNO, but the
with many colleagues, including experiment has also been expanded into
Carleton researchers. McDonald came the Canada Foundation for Innovation-
to Carleton within days of the Nobel funded SNOLAB, which opened in 2011.
news to thank his collaborators at Like SNO, the 10-storey-high particle
the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory facility is located deep inside the Earth
(SNO) — an experiment which played to avoid cosmic rays from space and the
a significant role in a breakthrough natural radioactivity that could affect
that, according to the Royal Swedish the sensitive measurements required for
Academy of Sciences, “has changed experiments.
our understanding of the innermost “It’s huge,” Butler said of Carleton’s
workings of matter and can prove role at SNO, SNOLAB and the new
crucial to our view of the universe.” Queen’s-led Canadian Particle
“I just want you to understand,” Astrophysics Research Centre, which
McDonald told a room packed with received $63.7 million from the federal
researchers, students, staff and federal government’s Canada First Research
funding agency officials at Carleton, Excellence Fund in September. “This
“that this project was done by a Research at SNO, two kilometres demonstrates our ability to lead and
tremendous number of people.” underground in a mine in Sudbury, Ont., collaborate on an international-scale
McDonald shared stories about demonstrated that neutrinos — elusive project. SNO was made and built in
SNO’s early beginnings and the elementary particles produced by Canada and has had an impact on
important contributions of his radioactive decay — do not disappear particle physics on a global scale. And
then-deputy David Sinclair, the when travelling from the sun toward the we’re a significant player in the legacy
distinguished Carleton physics Earth but instead change identity. For projects that are following.”

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