Current Affairs: Passage of the Day - 5 April 2024 | Current Affairs & General Knowledge - CLAT PDF Download

Directions: Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
China claims that the laboratory that is located so deep underground (2.4 km beneath the surface) serves the primary objective of providing an environment free from interference for researchers studying dark matter, an elusive substance that constitutes a substantial portion of the universe's mass. Beijing: China has announced the unveiling of a groundbreaking underground laboratory that has commenced operations in Southwest China's Sichuan province. The Deep Underground and Ultra-low Radiation Background Facility for Frontier Physics Experiments (DURF) is set to become a hub for cutting-edge scientific investigations, particularly in the pursuit of understanding dark matter.
A 2,400-metre-deep physics laboratory in SW China's Sichuan province has become operational on Thursday.
CJPL or China Jinping Underground Laboratory is the deepest and largest underground lab in the world.
The Deep Underground and Ultra-low Radiation Background Facility for Frontier Physics Experiments (DURF) is located beneath Jinping Mountain in Sichuan. The facility will support interdisciplinary research in fields such as particle physics, cosmology, nuclear astrophysics, life sciences, and rock mechanics. Ten research teams from various universities and institutes have reportedly set up shop at the laboratory.
The DURF, with a total room capacity of 330,000 cubic meters is the second phase of China Jinping Underground Laboratory.
Its joint construction started in December 2020, by Tsinghua University and state-owned Yalong River Hydropower Development Company.
According to Space Daily, the DURF's completion is the second phase of the China Jinping Underground Laboratory project. The first phase of the lab, completed in 2010, has already achieved considerable success in dark matter direct detection experiments, positioning China as a leader in this field.
[Excerpt from Times now “China Unveils World's Deepest Lab 2,400 Metres Underground For Dark Matter Research” Dated 8/12/23]
Q1: What is the depth of the Deep Underground and Ultra-low Radiation Background Facility for Frontier Physics Experiments (DURF)?
(a) 100 meters
(b) 500 meters
(c) 1,200 meters
(d) 2,400 meters

  View Answer

Q2: What primary advantage does the DURF's extreme depth offer?
(a) Faster data processing
(b) Larger space for experiments
(c) Blocking most cosmic rays
(d) Easier access to underground resources

  View Answer

Q3: What is the cosmic ray flux at the location of DURF compared to the Earth's surface?
(a) Twice as much
(b) Half as much
(c) About the same
(d) Approximately one hundred-millionth

  View Answer

Q4: Which university is jointly responsible for building the DURF?
(a) Beijing University
(b) Tsinghua University
(c) Shanghai Jiao Tong University
(d) Fudan University

  View Answer

Q5: When did the DURF become operational after its recent upgrades?
(a) 2018
(b) 2019
(c) 2020
(d) 2021

  View Answer