Cowan-Reines neutrino experiment

The Cowan-Reines neutrino experiment, conducted in 1956, was the first successful detection of neutrinos—elusive particles produced in nuclear reactions like those in the sun. Scientists used a large tank of liquid reactor waste to observe how neutrinos interact very rarely with protons, producing detectable antimatter particles called positrons and neutrons. By observing these paired signals, they confirmed neutrinos' existence and their ability to interact with matter, opening a new window into understanding fundamental particles and the processes powering stars and nuclear reactions.