Eur. Phys. J. H 37, 33–73 (2011)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjh/e2012-30007-y

Review

On the origin of the Kamiokande experiment and neutrino astrophysics

¹ Institute for Cosmic Ray Research, University of Tokyo, Kashiwa-no-ha 5-1-5, Kashiwa, 277-8582 Chiba, Japan
² University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, 113-8654 Tokyo, Japan
³ KEK, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, Oho 1-1, Tsukuba, 305-0801 Ibaragi, Japan

^a e-mail: kajita@icrr.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Received: 10 February 2012
Received in final form: 19 March 2012
Published online: 22 May 2012

Abstract

The Kamiokande experiment was originally conceived and designed for the detection of proton decay signals. In the early stage of the experiment, it was decided to upgrade the detector so that astrophysical neutrinos including solar neutrinos in the 10 MeV energy range can be detected. When the upgrade of the detector was almost completed, a neutrino burst from Supernova SN1987A was detected. 2 years later, solar neutrinos were also observed with the energy, the directional and the arrival time information. This article describes the story of the Kamiokande experiment, and the subsequent development of the neutrino physics, including the neutrino oscillation, and astrophysics with Kamiokande and its successors; Super-Kamiokande and KamLAND.