A Natural Framework for Solar and 17 keV Neutrinos

Motivated by recent experimental claims for the existence of a 17 keV neutrino and by the solar neutrino problem, we construct a class of models which contain in their low-energy spectrum a single light sterile neutrino and one or more Nambu-Goldstone bosons. In these models the required pattern of breaking of lepton-number symmetry takes place near the electroweak scale and all mass heirarchies are technically natural. The models are compatible with all cosmological and astrophysical constraints, and can solve the solar neutrino problem via either the MSW effect or vacuum oscillations. The deficit in atmospheric muon neutrinos seen in the Kamiokande and IMB detectors can also be explained in these models.Comment: 23 page

The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory is a second generation water Cherenkov detector designed to determine whether the currently observed solar neutrino deficit is a result of neutrino oscillations. The detector is unique in its use of D2O as a detection medium, permitting it to make a solar model-independent test of the neutrino oscillation hypothesis by comparison of the charged- and neutral-current interaction rates. In this paper the physical properties, construction, and preliminary operation of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory are described. Data and predicted operating parameters are provided whenever possible.Comment: 58 pages, 12 figures, submitted to Nucl. Inst. Meth. Uses elsart and epsf style files. For additional information about SNO see http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca . This version has some new reference

On the half-life of {sup 44}Ti

One of the few long-lived gamma-ray emitting radioisotopes expected to be produced in substantial quantities during a supernova explosion is {sup 44}Ti. The relevant portions of the decay schemes of {sup 44}Ti and its daughter {sup 44}Sc are shown. {sup 44}Ti decays to {sup 44}Sc emitting {gamma} rays of 68 and 78 keV. {sup 44}Sc subsequently decays with a 3.93-hour half life to {sup 44}Ca emitting an 1,157-keV {gamma}ray. This characteristic 1,157-keV {gamma} ray from the decay of {sup 44}Ti has recently been observed from the supernova remnant Cas A. In order to compare the predicted {gamma}-ray flux to that actually observed from this remnant, one must know the half-life of {sup 44}Ti. However, published values for this quantity range from 46.4 to 66.6 years. Given that the Cas A supernova is believed to have occurred approximately 300 years ago, this translates to an uncertainty by a factor of 4 in the amount of {sup 44}Ti ejected by this supernova. Thus, in order to provide an accurate and reliable value for this important quantity, the authors have performed a new experiment to determine the half-life of {sup 44}Ti. The authors produced {sup 44}Ti via the {sup 45}Sc(p,2n) reaction using 40 MeV protons from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory`s 88-Inch Cyclotron. In the present experiment, the authors attempted to use all three {sup 44}Ti {gamma}-ray lines to determine its half life. However, analysis of the {sup 241}Am and {sup 137}Cs lines produced an incorrect value for the half life of each of these isotopes. On the other hand, the analysis of the {sup 22}Na line produced a result that agreed to within 0.5% of the known value of 2.603 years. Thus, they decided to concentrate their effort on the analysis of the 1,157-keV line. The half life of {sup 44}Ti that they deduce from this experiment is 63 {+-} 3 years