The world's deepest underground laboratory, 2,400m below the mountain top

China is expanding construction of a research facility 2,400m below Mount Jinping in Sichuan, where scientists will conduct experiments on mysterious 'dark matter'.

Jinping Underground Laboratory has been in operation since 2010, with a surface area of ​​40,000 m2 and a research space of 30,000 m3, located 2,400 m from the top of Jinping Mountain. It is the deepest underground laboratory in the world, and has begun phase 2.

The laboratory has a complex tunnel system that maximizes space utilization and allows experiments and research to be performed safely, avoiding outside interference.

In addition, this special laboratory is surrounded by a 10-layer thick structure to prevent moisture, radioactive gases and cosmic rays from affecting the research. To ensure safety, it is also equipped with a 3D scanning system to monitor cracks and other damage.

Equipped with the world's largest polyethylene screen, the facility provides a near-perfect environment for conducting research in a wide range of fields, such as molecular and thermal physics, nuclear physics, and more, aimed at detecting elusive dark matter, a hypothetical invisible substance in the universe that is estimated to make up about 85% of all matter in the universe.

This lab shows that, in addition to space and military, Beijing's next target is molecular physics.

David Pac

Update 09 December 2024