Construction and Science of SURF published in the Annual Review of Nuclear and Particle Science
A new overview of the Sanford Underground Research Facility, detailing the ongoing research, facility, and future potential, has been published in the Annual Review of Nuclear and Particle Science.
Anyone who wants a deeper dive into the operations and experiments underway at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) can find a new journal publication on the topic.
This Annual Review of Nuclear and Particle Science journal article discusses the history, features, and status of the facility, as well as the current scientific program and future evolution and plans.
Dr. Jaret Heise, director of science at SURF, authored the paper.
Dr. Jaret Heise, science director at SURF, leads a tour of the 4850 Level.
Photo by Matthew Kapust
"It's an honor and a privilege to be invited to write an Annual Review article that showcases the incredible story of SURF,” Heise said. “Over a period of almost two decades, SURF has attracted an amazing community of researchers, and my hope is that the details captured in the paper will be useful to current and future experiments, while recognizing pioneering and foundational efforts of earlier groups."
The paper includes a synopsis of the history at SURF, where science efforts started in 2007 during reentry into the facility. Research has grown steadily over the decades: to date, nearly 80 groups have conducted research on various levels. This includes roughly 900 researchers who have been active at the facility since its opening.
The paper also looks toward the future, highlighting the ongoing effort to establish an underground Quantum User Facility at the 4850L. This deep laboratory can stimulate new research opportunities in both quantum computing and quantum sensing. Heise also notes that SURF could attract future research with a unique vertical facility that could host gravitational-wave detectors and other experiments exploring aspects of fundamental physics, astrophysics, and cosmology, including ultralight dark matter.
"It's an honor and a privilege to be invited to write an Annual Review article that showcases the incredible story of SURF.”
The paper acknowledges the “large number of scientific colleagues and technical staff over many years who contributed to the realization of the facility and science programs.” Heise adds credit to philanthropist T. Denny Sanford and the State of South Dakota for financing SURF’s initial construction. He further acknowledges the current operation of SURF funded by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of High Energy Physics.
Reference:
Jaret Heise. 2026. Construction and Science of SURF. Annual Review of Nuclear and Particle Science 76:69-95. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-nucl-100724-024247
