LVD is a large volume detector which will be installed in Hall A of the Gran Sasso Laboratory. This detector is 49 m long, 13.2 m high and 12 m wide. It contains 2280 m3 of scintillator (1800 t) and 1800 t of steel. The geometric acceptance of LVD for an isotropic flux of particles is greater than 7000 m2 sr. LVD is the ideal detector for detecting a stellar collapse, anywhere in our galaxy; for studying neutrino oscillations; for searching for the supersymmetric decay mode of the proton; and for looking at the boron neutrinos from the sun.

We have tested two prototypes of high-precision drift chamber for a magnetic muon spectrometer. Results of the tests are presented, with special emphasis on their efficiency and spatial resolution as a function of particle rate.

We describe here the LVD experiment (Large-Volume Detector) of the Gran Sasso Laboratory, which is the natural improvement of the LSD experiment (Liquid Scintillation Detector) running in the Mont Blanc Laboratory. The LVD ((31×13) m2 area, height 12 m) consists of ≈1800 tons of liquid scintillator and of a system of streamer tubes on 5 layers for reconstructing tracks of charged particles. As any experiment in an underground laboratory, which has a low statistics of events and requires long running times, the LVD is a multipurpose experiment but with different priorities of the researches. The main goal is neutrino astronomy, firstly detection of neutrinos from collapsing stars and secondly high-energy neutrinos and solar neutrinos. Since the expected number of interactions of neutrinos, from a stellar collapse is very high (of order of 900 for a collapse at the distance of the galactic centre), the LVD is, contrary to the present experiments, a real neutrino observatory, able to make a detailed analysis of the energy and temporal distributions of the burst. In addition to neutrino astrophysics, with the LVD experiment excellent possibilities exist to perform researches in cosmic-ray and high-energy elementary-particle physics.

We have continued the testing of dimethyl ether as a drift-chamber gas in order to improve the understanding of its properties. In particular, we report on measurement accuracy, on systematic effects, and some preliminary data on the ageing of a detector filled with dimethyl ether.