Limits on the neutrino magnetic moment from solar neutrino experiments

If neutrinos have non-vanishing mass and non-vanishing magnetic moments, then electron neutrinos emitted in nuclear reactions in the solar interior may undergo flavour oscillations, spin precession or resonant spin-flavour precession. Assuming equal values for the magnetic moments of all neutrino flavours and using the data from Homestake and SuperKamiokande we obtain an upper limit on the neutrino magnetic moment and find μ_νe ≤ (2.2 − 2.3) × 10⁻¹⁰μ_B, within four standard solar models. We also point out that this limit may be further reduced if the detector threshold energy for the ν_e,χe⁻ scattering is decreased.     

Magnetic moment solution to the solar neutrino problem,anticorrelation with sunspot activity and challenges for future experiments

The analysis of the most recent solar neutrino data in the light of the resonant spin flip flavour conversion of neutrinos in the Sun suggests the existence of two possible solutions for the solar neutrino problem, one of them associated with a neutrino flavour mass square difference of the order of 10^?8 eV² and the other of the order of 10^?5eV². The magnetic moment is in the range μ_v= (10^?12 ? 10^?11) μ_B. In the first possibility the most energetic neutrinos will have their resonance in the solar onvective zone. This indicates that the forthcoming SNO and Icarus experiments are very well placed to test this solution through the anticorrelation effect with sunspot activity that may be present in the Homestake data but still remains an open question.     

Anomalouse + e − pairs in heavy ion collisions and solar neutrinos

The production of anomalouse ⁺ e ^–pairs in heavy ion collisions and the solar neutrino puzzle are two seemingly unrelated problems of the standard model of electroweak interactions. According to the observations made at Homestake and Kamiokande, the flux of solar neutrinos is too small. Furthermore, the observations made at Homestake (neutrino-nucleon scattering) show anticorrelation of the solar neutrino flux with sunspots, unlike the observations made in Kamiokande (neutrino-electron scattering). According to the previously proposed model inspired by T(opological) G(eometro) D(ynamics), anomalouse ⁺ e ^–pairs result from the decay of the leptopion, which can be regarded as a bound state of color excited electrons. In this paper we show that the generalization of PCAC ideas leads to a prediction for the lifetime and production cross section of the leptopion in agreement with data. The model is also consistent with constraints coming from Babbha scattering and supernova physics. Leptopion exchange implies a new weak interaction between leptons at low cm energies (of the order of a few MeVs), which explains the Kamiokande-Homestake puzzle. Part of the solar neutrinos are transformed in the convective zone of the Sun to right-handed neutrinos inert with respect to ordinary electroweak interactions, but interacting with electrons via leptopion exchange so that they are observed in Kamiokande. A correct average value for the neutrino flux at Kamiokande is predicted using as input the Homestake flux, and the anticorrelation with sunspots in Kamiokande is predicted to be considerably weaker than in Homestake.     

Fast neutrino decay and solar neutrino detectors

The neutrino decay solution of the solar neutrino problem is revisited in the context of majoron models. It is shown that for a definite range of parameters this scenario reconciles both the Homestake and the Kamiokande data. The prediction for Gallium detectors is also given. Attention is devoted to the analysis of the signal, which is the crucial prediction of this scenario. It is shown that the sensitivity of Borexino is sufficient to observe this signal and to distinguish it from the alternative signal provided by hybrid models of neutrino oscillation and magnetic moment transitions. Other sources of solar production are also reviewed (matter induced decay, MSW catalized decay or the decay of solar 17 keV neutrinos).     

Probing the neutrino mass matrix in next-generation neutrino oscillation experiments

We review the current status of the neutrino mass and mixing parameters needed to reconstruct the neutrino mass matrix. A comparative study of the precision in the measurement of oscillation parameters expected from the next-generation solar, atmospheric, reactor-and accelerator-based neutrino experiments is presented. We discuss the potential of 0νββ experiments in determining the neutrino mass hierarchy and the importance of a better ϑ ₁₂ measurement for it. The text was submitted by the author in English.     

Resonant neutrino spin-flip transitions in twisting magnetic fields

We examine here in detail the dynamics of neutrino spin-flip transitions in twisting magnetic fields. The properties of various resonant conversions induced by field rotation are considered. The suppression factors for solarv _eL due to spin-flip transitions in twisting magnetic fields are calculated, and possible implications for solar neutrino experiments are discussed.     

Topological geometrodynamics and the solar neutrino problem

A solution of the solar neutrino problem based on certain differences between T(opological) G(eometro) D(ynamics) and the standard model of the electroweak interactions is proposed. First, TGD predicts the existence of a right-handed neutrino inert with respect to ordinary electroweak interactions. Second, the generalization of the massless Dirac equation contains terms mixing differentM ⁴ chiralities, unlike the ordinary massless Dirac equation. This and the observation of anticorrelations of the solar neutrino flux with sunspot number suggest that solar neutrinos are transformed to right-handed neutrinos on the convective zone of the Sun. Third, the compactness ofCP ₂ implies topological field quantization: space-time decomposes into regions, topological field quanta, characterized by a handful of vacuum quantum numbers. In particular, there are topological obstructions for the smooth global imbeddings of magnetic fields and the decomposition of the solar magnetic field into flux tubes is predicted. Finally, every electromagnetically neutral mass distribution is accompanied by a long-rangeZ ⁰ vacuum field. If the vacuum quantum numbers inside the flux tubes of the solar magnetic field are considerably smaller than in the normal phase, theZ ⁰ electric force becomes strong and implies Thomas precession for the spin of the lefthanded component of the neutrino. As a consequence, left-handed neutrinos are transformed to right-handed ones and the process is irreversible, since righthanded neutrinos do not couple toZ ⁰.     

Neutrino magnetic moment solution for the solar neutrino problem and the SNO experiment

The motivations for the magnetic moment solution to the solar neutrino problem are briefly reviewed and the expected values for a number of observables to be measured by the SNO experiment are calculated assuming three different solar magnetic field profiles. The observables examined are the charged current event rate, the ratio of the neutral current to the charged current event rates and the charged current electron spectrum as well as their first and second moments. The dependence of results on the hep neutrino flux is also analysed and a comparison is made with the corresponding oscillation results.     

Statistical analysis of solar neutrino data

We calculate with Monte Carlo the goodness of fit and the confidence level of the standard allowed regions for the neutrino oscillation parameters obtained from the fit of the total rates measured in solar neutrino experiments. We show that they are significantly overestimated in the standard method. We also calculate exact allowed regions with correct frequentist coverage. We show that the exact VO, LMA and LOW regions are much larger than the standard ones and merge together giving an allowed band at large mixing angles for all Δm² 10⁻¹⁰ eV².     

One model for magnetic solar neutrino interactions,cosmological neutrino decays,and new particle resonant production by interactions of neutrinos from Cygnus X-3

Standard model extensions which include a charged, weak-singlet scalar particle can induce an electron-neutrino magnetic moment large enough to implement the Voloshin-Vysotski-Okun solution to the solar neutrino problem and observed anticorrelation of sunspots and neutrino flux. The resonant production and decay of such a charged scalar particle by neutrinos from ultra-high energy point sources of cosmic rays such as Cygnus X-3 has been discussed in the literature as a possible source of an anomalous muon signal in deep underground detectors. We argue here that there are versions of the charged scalar model which simultaneously can accommodate the above phenomena and in addition predict a radiative neutrino decay whose lifetime is about 10²⁴ s. This value is consistent with that needed for a dark-matter neutrino of about 30 eV mass to yield a flux of UV photons which could explain several puzzling observations of H_α emission from the galactic disk and from the intergalactic HI cloud in Leo.     

New answer to the solar neutrino problem

We suggest a new answer to the problem of the solar neutrinos: a neutrino-photon interaction that would cause the neutrinos to disappear before they leave the sun or make them lose energy towards detection thresholds. We calculate the available energy in the system of the centre of mass, and show that the photons may be endowed with a pseudo-cross-section in the system of the sun. Under the assumption of an absorption, made to simplify the neutrino transport calculation, the chlorine experiment yields:σ _a =1.8( _−1.0 ^+0.7 )*10⁻⁹ barn, which is close tog _β/(ℏc)=4·49^*10⁻⁹ barn. The escape probability is substantially larger for the gallium neutrinos than for the chlorine neutrinos. Thermal radiation in the core of a supernova is suppressed by electrical conductivity, therefore the neutrinos from SN1987A could escape; they interacted with the photon piston in the outer layers of the supernova and the interaction has to be a scattering. The cosmological implications of a neutrino-photon interaction are discussed; Hubble’s constant may have to be modified. The case of an elastic scattering between neutrino and photon is discussed in more detail. An erratum to this article is available at .     

A xenon solar neutrino detector

The neutrino capture reaction by ¹³¹Xe with the threshold of 352 keV is suggested for solar neutrinos detection. The most important feature of this process is its high sensitivity to beryllium neutrinos, that contribute approximately 40% to the total capture rate predicted in the Standard Solar Model (45 SNU). The expected counting rate of the xenon detector from the main solar neutrino sources predicted by the Standard Solar Model is ≈ 1500 events/yr.     

Majorana neutrino transition magnetic moment in a variant of Zee model with horizontal symmetry

A SU(2) _H symmetric variant of Zee model of lepton flavor violation is presented and is shown to lead to neutrino transition magnetic moment of the order required to explain the solar neutrino deficit and the possible anticorrelation of solar neutrino flux with sunspot activity via VVO mechanism. The use of horizontal symmetry leads to totally degenerate neutrino states which may be combined to form a ZKM Dirac neutrino with naturally small mass.     

Solar neutrino spectroscopy

Since the pioneering experiment of R. Davis et al., which started neutrino astronomy by measuring the solar neutrinos via the inverse beta decay reaction on ³⁷Cl, all solar neutrino experiments find a considerably lower flux than expected by standard solar models. This finding is generally called the solar neutrino problem. Many attempts have been made to explain this result by altering the solar models, or assuming different nuclear cross sections for fusion processes assumed to be the energy sources in the sun.There have been performed numerous experiments recently to investigate the different possibilities to explain the solar neutrino problem. These experiments covered solar physics with helioseismology, nuclear cross section measurements, and solar neutrino experiments.Up to now no convincing explanation based on “standard” physics was suggested. However, assuming nonstandard neutrino properties, i.e. neutrino masses and mixing as expected in most extensions of the standard theory of elementary particle physics, natural solutions for the solar neutrino problem can be found.It appears that with this newly invented neutrino astronomy fundamental information on astrophysics as well as elementary particle physics are tested uniquely. In this contribution an attempt is made to review the situation of the neutrino astronomy for solar neutrino spectroscopy and discuss the future prospects in this field.     

Progress in neutrino oscillation searches and their implications

Neutrino oscillation, in which a given flavor of neutrino transforms into another is a powerful tool for probing small neutrino masses. The intrinsic neutrino properties involved are neutrino mass squared difference Δm ² and the mixing angle in vacuum θ. In this paper I will summarize the progress that we have achieved in our search for neutrino oscillation with special emphasis on the recent results from the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) on the measurement of solar neutrino fluxes. I will outline the current bounds on the neutrino masses and mixing parameters and discuss the major physics goals of future neutrino experiments in the context of the present picture.     

Future of neutrino experiments

Atmospheric, solar, reactor and accelerator neutrino oscillation experiments have measured Δm ₁₂², sin² θ ₁₂, |Δm ₂₃²| and sin² 2θ ₂₃. The next stage of the oscillation studies should be the observation of a finite sin² 2θ ₁₃. If a non-zero sin² 2θ ₁₃ is observed, the subsequent goals should be the observation of the CP violation and the determination sign of Δm ₂₃². Possible future neutrino oscillation experiments that could assess these questions are discussed.      

Solar neutrino oscillation phenomenology

This article summarises the status of the solar neutrino oscillation phenomenology at the end of 2002 in the light of the SNO and KamLAND results. We first present the allowed areas obtained from global solar analysis and demonstrate the preference of the solar data towards the large-mixing-angle (LMA) MSW solution. A clear confirmation in favour of the LMA solution comes from the KamLAND reactor neutrino data. The KamLAND spectral data in conjunction with the global solar data further narrows down the allowed LMA region and splits it into two allowed zones a low Δm ² region (low-LMA) and high Δm ² region (high-LMA). We demonstrate through a projected analysis that with an exposure of 3 kton-year (kTy) KamLAND can remove this ambiguity.     

On the possible existence of a neutrino pulsar

If the neutrino has a magnetic moment in the interval 10⁻¹³μ_B < μ _ν < 10⁻¹² μ_B and if a magnetic field of strength about 10¹⁴ G exists in the supernova envelope, the effect of a pulsation of a neutrino signal from a supernova may arise owing to a ν _L → ν _R resonance transition in the envelope magnetic field.     

Limits on the neutrino magnetic moment using 1496 days of Super-Kamiokande-I solar neutrino data

A search for a nonzero neutrino magnetic moment has been conducted using 1496 live days of solar neutrino data from Super-Kamiokande-I. Specifically, we searched for distortions to the energy spectrum of recoil electrons arising from magnetic scattering due to a nonzero neutrino magnetic moment. In the absence of a clear signal, we found micro(nu)相似文献   

New neutrino experiments

Following incredible recent progress in understanding neutrino oscillations, many new ambitious experiments are being planned to study neutrino properties. The most important may be to find a non-zero value of θ₁₃. The most promising way to do this appears to be to measurev _μ →v _e oscillations with anE/L near Δm _atmo ² . Future neutrino experiments are great.