Alfred K. Mann (September 4, 1920 – January 13, 2013) was an American particle physicist, known for his role in the discovery of fundamental properties of neutrinos.
[3] From his obituary in The Philadelphia Inquirer: In 2003, Dr. Mann helped organize a campaign against the proposed closure of an 8,000-foot-deep South Dakota gold mine that was seen as an ideal site to measure the subatomic particles called neutrinos.
... His efforts in advocating to keep the mine open were recognized by a proclamation from the governor of South Dakota, said Eugene Beier, a Penn physics professor who collaborated with Dr. Mann on numerous occasions.
The South Dakota mine was seen as a good place to detect them because the earth acts as a filter.
During their careers, Dr. Mann and Beier helped make the first direct measurements of neutrinos emitted by the sun, and also measured the particles coming from a supernova, an experience Dr. Mann recounted in the 1987 book, Shadow of a Star.