Neutrinos interact very weakly with matter, so not many of them can be seen without a large volume of water. Previous experiments have been confined to mine shafts and caves filled with water. One of the requirements of the Antares project is large photomultiplier tubes with fast response times, Montanet said. Originally, the project used commercially available 8-in. Another photonic innovation arising from the research is the development of an intense, pulsed light source at 470 nm.
Neutrinos provide an extremely long-range glimpse into the universe.
Because of their high energy, these particles are also messengers of little-understood events and objects. Photonics - The technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The science includes light emission, transmission, deflection, amplification and detection by optical components and instruments, lasers and other light sources, fiber optics, electro-optical instrumentation, related hardware and electronics, and sophisticated systems. The range of applications of photonics extends from energy generation to detection to communications and information processing. Now being replaced by the more inclusive term Photonics.