Status and Prospects of SNO+

Abstract

SNO+ is a new multi-purpose Neutrino Physics experiment, presently in construction at SNOLAB, succeeding to the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory by replacing heavy water with liquid scintillator. In the Neodymium-loading phase, SNO+ will search for the double-beta decay of 150Nd. With pure scintillator, SNO+ will measure several components of the solar neutrino spectrum, with special relevance for the pep and CNO neutrinos that have much less cosmogenic background at the SNOLAB depth. In addition, interesting measurements can be carried out with antineutrinos from nuclear reactors and the Earth's natural radioactivity. This paper summarizes the Physics goals of SNO+, as well as the main ongoing detector developments. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.