The impressive agreement between the standard model of particle
physics and a vast array of experimental results has led some to
suggest that we are nearing the end of particles physics research.
During the last five years, however, results from neutrino
experiments, including solar neutrino measurements from the Sudbury
Neutrino Observatory (SNO), have demonstrated that our understanding
of fundamental particles and their interactions is certainly not
complete.
A brief introduction to particle physics will be provided. A summary
of the main open questions in the field will be given with
emphasis placed on the role of neutrinos in answering those questions.
The SNO detector and calibration procedures will be described in
detail along with presentation of the latest physics results from the
complete salt-phase data set. The impact of these results will be
discussed in the context of neutrino models and the standard solar
model.
The final portion of the talk will describe ongoing work towards the
realization of a liquid scintillator neutrino experiment (SNO+)
utilizing the existing SNO apparatus. The technical challenges and
physics potential of the SNO+ will be presented. |