Eur. Phys. J. Plus (2012) 127: 104
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/i2012-12104-1

Regular Article

The ANDES underground laboratory

Centro Atómico Bariloche, CNEA/CONICET, Av Bustillo km 9.5, San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina

^* e-mail: bertou@cab.cnea.gov.ar

Received: 23 July 2012
Accepted: 24 July 2012
Published online: 20 September 2012

Abstract

The ANDES underground laboratory, planned for inclusion in the Agua Negra tunnel crossing the Andes between Argentina and Chile, will be the first deep underground laboratory in the southern hemisphere. It will be deep (1750 m of rock overburden), large (60 000 m³ of volume), and provide the international community with a unique site for testing dark-matter modulation signals. The site furthermore has a low nuclear reactor neutrino background and is of special interest to the geophysics sciences. The laboratory will be run as a multi-national facility, under a consortium of Latin-American countries. Its opening is expectedfor 2020.