JUNO detector: design and construction

The Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO) is a 20-kton multi-purpose liquid scintillator detector currently being built in a dedicated underground laboratory located in the Jiangmen province (Southern China). JUNO's main physics goal is the determination of the neutrino mass ordering using electron anti-neutrinos from two nuclear power plants at a baseline of about 53 km. This crucial measurement is supported by an unprecedented energy resolution of 3% at 1 MeV. Furthermore, the detector could observe supernova neutrinos, study atmospheric, solar and geo-neutrinos and perform exotic searches. Several challenges have been overcome during the construction of the largest liquid scintillator detector in the world, such as compatibility of the sphere material, mechanics of the stainless steel structure, scintillator light yield and transparency, PMTs detection efficiency. In this talk, JUNO's design as well as the status of its construction will be presented, together with a short excursion into its rich R&D program.