The primary goals are to study high-energy cosmic neutrino fluxes in detail and to identify astrophysical neutrino sources. The Baikal-GVD can also search for dark matter candidates,
neutrinos from superheavy particle decays, magnetic monopoles, and other exotic particles. Moreover, it is thought to be a tool for monitoring of Lake Baikal’s ecosystem.
2015 — Completion of the preparatory phase, with a demonstration cluster installed (192 optical modules).
2016 — Start of Phase I (GVD-I), with the first cluster completed.
2021 — Completion of Phase I (GVD-I), with 8 clusters (288 modules) installed and the detection volume of 0.4 km³.
2023 — 12 operating clusters.
2025 — 14 operating clusters, with a detection volume of 0.7 km³.
9 institutions from 4 countries participate in the Baikal-GVD Collaboration.
The Baikal-GVD is one of the three neutrino detectors worldwide, alongside
the IceCube at the South Pole and the KM3NeT in the Mediterranean Sea.
The Baikal-GVD is located in the southern part of Lake Baikal. The facility is almost 4 km off the shore. Its Shore Station is situated at the 106 km of the Circum-Baikal Railway.
Freshwater properties are optimal for neutrino detection.
Winter ice cover facilitates detector deployment.
Ideal site conditions, with a depth of 1,366 m and a flat lakebed.
Existing infrastructure (railway, power supply, facilities).
The Shore Station hosts the systems of control, data acquisition and processing. Scientists, engineers, and technicians come here to monitor and to operate the facility (all the year round) and also to assemble, repair, or upgrade the equipment and vehicles (in summer and in winter).
