Constraints on Nucleon Decay via "Invisible" Modes from the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

Data from the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory have been used to constrain the lifetime for nucleon decay to ``invisible'' modes, such as n -> 3 nu. The analysis was based on a search for gamma-rays from the de-excitation of the residual nucleus that would result from the disappearance of either a proton or neutron from O16. A limit of tau_inv > 2 x 10^{29} years is obtained at 90% confidence for either neutron or proton decay modes. This is about an order of magnitude more stringent than previous constraints on invisible proton decay modes and 400 times more stringent than similar neutron modes.Comment: Update includes missing efficiency factor (limits change by factor of 2) Submitted to Physical Review Letter

Electron energy spectra, fluxes, and day-night asymmetries of 8B solar neutrinos from measurements with NaCl dissolved in the heavy-water detector at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

Results are reported from the complete salt phase of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory experiment in which NaCl was dissolved in the 2H2O (“D2O”) target. The addition of salt enhanced the signal from neutron capture as compared to the pure D2O detector. By making a statistical separation of charged-current events from other types based on event-isotropy criteria, the effective electron recoil energy spectrum has been extracted. In units of 106 cm−2 s−1, the total flux of active-flavor neutrinos from 8B decay in the Sun is found to be 4.94+0.21 −0.21(stat)+0.38 −0.34 (syst) and the integral flux of electron neutrinos for an undistorted 8B spectrum is 1.68+0.06 −0.06(stat)+0.08 −0.09(syst); the signal from (νx, e) elastic scattering is equivalent to an electron-neutrino flux of 2.35+0.22 −0.22(stat)+0.15 −0.15(syst). These results are consistent with those expected for neutrino oscillations with the so-called large mixing angle parameters and also with an undistorted spectrum. A search for matter-enhancement effects in the Earth through a possible day-night asymmetry in the charged-current integral rate is consistent with no asymmetry. Including results from other experiments, the best-fit values for two-neutrino mixing parameters are m2 = (8.0+0.6 −0.4) × 10−5 eV2 and θ = 33.9+2.4 −2.2 degrees. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevC.72.05550

Electron energy spectra, fluxes, and day-night asymmetries of B-8 solar neutrinos from measurements with NaCl dissolved in the heavy-water detector at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory

Results are reported from the complete salt phase of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory experiment in which NaCl was dissolved in the H22O ("D2O") target. The addition of salt enhanced the signal from neutron capture as compared to the pure D2O detector. By making a statistical separation of charged-current events from other types based on event-isotropy criteria, the effective electron recoil energy spectrum has been extracted. In units of 106cm-2s-1, the total flux of active-flavor neutrinos from B8 decay in the Sun is found to be 4.94-0.21+0.21(stat)-0.34+0.38(syst) and the integral flux of electron neutrinos for an undistorted B8 spectrum is 1.68-0.06+0.06(stat)-0. 09+0.08(syst); the signal from (νx,e) elastic scattering is equivalent to an electron-neutrino flux of 2.35-0.22+0.22(stat)-0.15+0.15(syst). These results are consistent with those expected for neutrino oscillations with the so-called large mixing angle parameters and also with an undistorted spectrum. A search for matter-enhancement effects in the Earth through a possible day-night asymmetry in the charged-current integral rate is consistent with no asymmetry. Including results from other experiments, the best-fit values for two-neutrino mixing parameters are Δm2=(8.0-0.4+0.6)×10-5 eV2 and θ=33.9-2.2+2.4 degrees. © 2005 The American Physical Society