Major in-roads into Stawell's Underground Physics Laboratory have begun.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The latest images coming from the underground laboratory reveal two connected underground caverns being excavated to house the laboratory, one kilometre deep in the mine.
The images detail where the two caverns intersect, with the underground excavation breaking through to connect the two caverns.
Once complete, the Stawell laboratory will be the first underground physics laboratory in the southern hemisphere, situated within the at the Stawell Gold Mine.
The laboratory consists of a main research hall and a side access wing configured in an 'L' Shape.
The excavation work, which is being completed by the owner-operator of the gold mine, began in August 2019 and is expected to take another two months.
Approximately 3000 metres has been excavated.
University of Melbourne professor Elisabetta Barberio, who heads the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory project, said the excavation breakthrough is a step closer to the discovery of dark matter.
Understanding how the universe was formed from dark matter is one of the world's biggest mysteries, one which Professor Barberio is hoping the laboratory at Stawell will help solve.
"The Centre will establish the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory as the southern hemisphere's epicentre for dark matter research and a national facility that is desired for other disciplines," she said.
"It will provide a dynamic environment for advances in ultra-sensitive detectors, ultra-low radiation techniques, spin-technology translation, and highly trained graduates ready to lead innovation in Australian industry."
Construction completion for the laboratory is planned for late 2020 with operations expected to commence in early 2021.
The Commonwealth and Victorian Governments have each allocated $5 million in funding for the building of the facility.
In August, funding was boosted by the Australian Research Council awarding a $35 million Centre of Excellence for Dark Matter Particle Physics to search for dark matter.
The Centre will establish the Stawell Underground Physics Laboratory as the southern hemisphere's epicentre for dark matter research and a national facility that is desired for other disciplines.
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox each Friday morning from the Stawell Times-News. To make sure you're up-to-date with all the news from across the Northern Grampians shire, sign up here.