Present Status of the Theoretical Predictions for the ^(37)Cl Solar-Neutrino Experiment

The theoretical predictions for the ^(37)Cl solar-neutrino experiment are summarized and compared with the experimental results of Davis, Harmer, and Hoffman. Three important conclusions about the sun are shown to follow

How many sigmas is the solar neutrino effect?

The minimal standard electroweak model can be tested by allowing all the solar neutrino fluxes, with undistorted energy spectra, to be free parameters in fitting the measured solar neutrino event rates, subject only to the condition that the total observed luminosity of the sun is produced by nuclear fusion. The rates of the five experiments prior to SNO (chlorine, Kamiokande, SAGE, GALLEX, Super-Kamiokande) cannot be fit by an arbitrary choice of undistorted neutrino fluxes at the level of 2.5 sigma (formally 99% C.L.). Considering just SNO and Super-Kamiokande, the discrepancy is at the 3.3 sigma level(10^{-3} C.L.). If all six experiments are fit simultaneously, the formal discrepancy increases to 4 sigma (7*10^{-5} C.L.). If the relative scaling in temperature of the nuclear reactions that produce 7Be and 8B neutrinos is taken into account, the formal discrepancy is at the 7.4 sigma level.Comment: 1 figure; related information at http://www.sns.ias.edu/~jn

Do Solar Neutrino Experiments Imply New Physics?

None of the 1000 solar models in a full Monte Carlo simulation is consistent with the results of the chlorine or the Kamiokande experiments. Even if the solar models are forced artifically to have a \b8 neutrino flux in agreeement with the Kamiokande experiment, none of the fudged models agrees with the chlorine observations. The GALLEX and SAGE experiments, which currently have large statistical uncertainties, differ from the predictions of the standard solar model by $2 \sigma$ and $3 \sigma$, respectively.Comment: 7 pages (figures not included), Institute for Advanced Study number AST 92/51. For a hard copy with the figures, write: [email protected]

Neutron Stars

Several authors have suggested that the recently discovered extraterrestrial sources of x rays may be hot neutron stars. The plausibility of this suggestion, and in fact the likelihood that astronomers will ever be able to observe neutron stars by their x-ray emission, depend critically upon the cooling times of the hot stars

Probability of a Solution to the Solar Neutrino Problem Within the Minimal Standard Model

Tests, independent of any solar model, can be made of whether solar neutrino experiments are consistent with the minimal Standard Model (stable, massless neutrinos). If the experimental uncertainties are correctly estimated and the sun is generating energy by light-element fusion in quasi-static equilibrium, the probability of a standard-physics solution is less than 2%. Even when the luminosity constraint is abandoned, the probability is not more than 4%. The sensitivity of the conclusions to input parameters is explored.Comment: PRL, Revtex, 1 figure, 5 page

Lithium Experiment on Solar Neutrinos to Weight the CNO Cycle

The measurement of the flux of beryllium neutrinos with the accuracy of about 10% and CNO neutrinos with the accuracy 30% will enable to find the flux of pp-neutrinos in the source with the accuracy better than 1% using the luminosity constraint. The future experiments on \nu e- scattering will enable to measure with very good accuracy the flux of beryllium and pp-neutrinos on the Earth. The ratio of the flux of pp-neutrinos on the Earth and in the source will enable to find with very good accuracy a mixing angle theta solar. Lithium detector has high sensitivity to CNO neutrinos and can find the contribution of CNO cycle to the energy generated in the Sun. This will be a stringent test of the theory of stellar evolution and combined with other experiments will provide a precise determination of the flux of pp-neutrinos in the source and a mixing angle theta solar. The work on the development of the technology of lithium experiment is now in progress.Comment: Minor corrections, one reference added, 11 pages, 2 figures, talk given at NANP 2003, Dubna, Russia, June 200

The luminosity constraint on solar neutrino fluxes

A specific linear combination of the total solar neutrino fluxes must equal the measured solar photon luminosity if nuclear fusion reactions among light elements are responsible for solar energy generation. This luminosity constraint, previously used in a limited form in testing the no neutrino oscillation hypothesis, is derived in a generality that includes all of the relevant solar neutrino fluxes and which is suitable for analyzing the results of many different solar neutrino experiments. With or without allowing for neutrino oscillations, the generalized luminosity constraint can be used in future analyses of solar neutrino data. Accurate numerical values for the linear coefficients are provided.Comment: related material at http://www.sns.ias.edu/~jn

Shape of the 8B Alpha and Neutrino Spectra

The beta-delayed alpha spectrum from the decay of 8B has been measured with a setup that minimized systematic uncertainties that affected previous measurements. Consequently the deduced neutrino spectrum presents much smaller uncertainties than the previous recommendation. The 8B neutrino spectrum is found to be harder than previously recommended with about (10-20)% more neutrinos at energies between 12-14 MeV. The efficiencies of the 37Cl, 71Ga, 40Ar, and SuperKamiokande detectors are respectively, 3.6%, 1.4%, 5.7% and 1.8% larger than previously thought.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Solar Neutrino Matter Effects Redux

Following recent low-threshold analysis of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory and asymmetry measurements of the BOREXINO Collaboration of the solar neutrino flux, we revisit the analysis of the matter effects in the Sun. We show that solar neutrino data constrains the mixing angle $\theta_{13}$ poorly and that subdominant Standard Model effects can mimic the effects of the physics beyond the Standard Model.Comment: 12 pages of LATEX, 8 figure

Solar Neutrinos Before and After KamLAND

We use the recently reported KamLAND measurements on oscillations of reactor anti-neutrinos, together with the data of previously reported solar neutrino experiments, to show that: (1) the total 8B neutrino flux emitted by the Sun is 1.00(1.0 \pm 0.06) of the standard solar model (BP00) predicted flux, (2) the KamLAND measurements reduce the area of the globally allowed oscillation regions that must be explored in model fitting by six orders of magnitude in the Delta m^2-tan^2 theta plane, (3) LMA is now the unique oscillation solution to a CL of 4.7sigma, (4) maximal mixing is disfavored at 3.1 sigma, (5) active-sterile admixtures are constrained to sin^2 eta<0.13 at 1 sigma, (6) the observed ^8B flux that is in the form of sterile neutrinos is 0.00^{+0.09}_{-0.00} (1 sigma), of the standard solar model (BP00) predicted flux, and (7) non-standard solar models that were invented to completely avoid solar neutrino oscillations are excluded by KamLAND plus solar at 7.9 sigma . We also refine quantitative predictions for future 7Be and p-p solar neutrino experiments.Comment: Published version, includes editorial improvement