The MONOLITH project

MONOLITH is a proposed massive (34 kt) magnetized tracking calorimeter at the Gran Sasso Laboratory in Italy, optimized for the detection of atmospheric muon neutrinos. The main goal is to establish (or reject) the neutrino oscillation hypothesis through an explicit observation of the full first oscillation swing. The Δm2 sensitivity range for this measurement comfortably covers the complete Super-Kamiokande allowed region. Other measurements include studies of matter effects and the NC/CC and ν̄/ν ratio, the study of cosmic ray muons in the multi-TeV range, and auxiliary measurements from the CERN to Gran Sasso neutrino beam. Depending on approval, data taking with part of the detector could start in 2004. The detector and its performance are described, and its potential in later use as a neutrino factory detector is discussed.