TAMBO project proposes using Peru's Colca Canyon for neutrino detection

The TAMBO (Tau Air-shower Mountain-Based Observatory) project, an international scientific collaboration involving 26 institutions from nine countries, proposes using the Colca Canyon in Arequipa, Peru, to detect high-energy neutrinos.

By utilizing the natural geography of the Andes, the project aims to use the mountain's rocky mass as an interaction target. When a tau neutrino interacts with the rock, it can generate a particle cascade that would be recorded by approximately 5,000 sensors installed on the opposite slope, effectively turning the valley into a natural telescope.

Researchers from the Universidad del Pacífico are part of this initiative, which recently published its scientific proposal in Nature Astronomy. The project's design leverages the canyon's depth and geometry to significantly reduce infrastructure costs compared to existing neutrino detection methods that rely on large volumes of ice or water.