The Aberdeen Tunnel Underground Laboratory () is the only underground

particle physics Particle physics or high energy physics is the study of fundamental particles and forces that constitute matter and radiation. The fundamental particles in the universe are classified in the Standard Model as fermions (matter particles) an ...

laboratory A laboratory (; ; colloquially lab) is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific or technological research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. Laboratory services are provided in a variety of settings: physicia ...

in Hong Kong. It is situated between the two vehicular

tunnel A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through surrounding soil, earth or rock, and enclosed except for the entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube cons ...

tubes, behind Gates 2 and 5 of

Aberdeen Tunnel Aberdeen Tunnel, part of Route 1, is a two-tube tunnel linking Happy Valley and Wong Chuk Hang near Aberdeen on the Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. It shortens the travel time between Wong Chuk Hang and Causeway Bay of the Hong Kong Island. I ...

Hong Kong Island Hong Kong Island is an Islands and peninsulas of Hong Kong, island in the southern part of Hong Kong. Known colloquially and on road signs simply as Hong Kong, the island has a population of 1,289,500 and its population density is 16,390/km ...

History

Commissioned by the

University of Hong Kong The University of Hong Kong (HKU) (Chinese: 香港大學) is a public research university in Hong Kong. Founded in 1887 as the Hong Kong College of Medicine for Chinese, it is the oldest tertiary institution in Hong Kong. HKU was also the fi ...

(HKU) after an assessment of all existing tunnels in Hong Kong, the location of the Aberdeen Tunnel, then under construction in the valley between Mount Cameron and

Mount Nicholson Mount Nicholson () is a tall mountain located in Wan Chai District, on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong. The hill is believed to be named for Royal Hong Kong Regiment, Hong Kong Volunteer Corps Adjunct Lieutenant W.C.A. Nicholson. The western side of ...

, was deemed the most suitable site for undertaking particle physics experimentation. Funded entirely by HKU, construction work on the laboratory was completed in 1980. The laboratory was practically abandoned after HKU researchers completed their experiments, as no other experiments of a similar nature made further use of the facility. However, in 2006, HKU and the

Chinese University of Hong Kong The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a public research university in Ma Liu Shui, Hong Kong, formally established in 1963 by a charter granted by the Legislative Council of Hong Kong. It is the territory's second-oldest university an ...

petitioned the Aberdeen Tunnel administration for permission to reuse the laboratory, in order to participate in a

Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment The Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment is a China-based multinational particle physics project studying neutrinos. The multinational collaboration includes researchers from China, Chile, the United States, Taiwan (Republic of China), Russia, a ...

by the

Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant Daya Nuclear Power Plant () is a nuclear power plant located in Daya Bay in Longgang District, along the eastern extremity of Shenzhen, Guangdong, China; and to the north east of Hong Kong. Daya Bay has two 944 MWe PWR nuclear reactors based ...

. Due to the high amount of traffic through the tunnel, researchers only have access to the laboratory 3 to 4 times per week, mostly during late night and early morning hours. During these experiments, maintenance and cleaning operations within the tunnel have to be suspended, and all traffic is rerouted through one tunnel tube.

Collaborators

References

External links

Daya Bay Reactor Neutrino Experiment & Aberdeen Cosmic Ray Muon-induced Neutron Experiment
* https://web.archive.org/web/20120622211339/http://hk.news.yahoo.com/video/topstory-19458512/title-29722229.html {{coord, 22.2681, 114.1804, display=t Particle physics facilities Underground laboratories Science and technology in Hong Kong Subterranean Hong Kong University of Hong Kong Chinese University of Hong Kong Laboratories in China