Dr. Nick Solomey, professer of physics at Wichita State University, was awarded a $2 million grant from NASA for his work developing a neutrino detector to work in space and in close proximity to the sun.
Salomey’s grant was one of five that NASA announced in early April from the NASA Innovative Advance Concepts Program (NIAC).
Despite being one of the most abundant particles in the universe; neutrino particles are difficult to study since they rarely interact with matter. Large, sensitive, Earth-based detectors are the primary use to detect them.
Salomey’s unique neutrino detector would be space-based, which is named Cube-sat Space Flight Test of a Neutrino Detector. His method to travel close to the sun to increase the density of neutrinos is an alternative approach that captured NASA’s attention, and the cube-sat test flight would allow Salomey’s team to prove that the technology can work in space.
Dr. Salomey had previously received a Phase II grant from NASA. His research showed that the technology could work in space, allowed him to explore flight paths, in addition to developing a prototype of the neutrino detector.
With this Phase III grant, Salomey intends to create a flight-ready detector that could be tested on a Cube-sat (a miniaturized satellite used for space research, often made up of commercial or of-the-shelf components).
Dr. Salomey said this $2 million grant will help fund graduate research assistants, as well as equipment and travel for WSU and its partner universities–the University of Minnesota and South Dakota State University (which were awarded sub-grants).
