Evidence for Solar Neutrino Flux Variability and its Implications

Abstract

Althogh KamLAND apparently rules out Resonant-Spin-Flavor-Precession (RSFP) as an explanation of the solar neutrino deficit, the solar neutrino fluxes in the Cl and Ga experiments appear to vary with solar rotation. Added to this evidence, summarized here, a power spectrum analysis of the Super-Kamiokande data reveals significant variation in the flux matching a dominant rotation rate observed in the solar magnetic field in the same time period. Three frequency peaks, all related to this rotation rate, can be explained quantitatively. A Super-Kamiokande paper reported no time variation of the flux, but showed the same peaks, there interpreted as statistically insignificant, due to an inappropriate analysis. This modulation is small (7%) in the Super-Kamiokande energy region (and below the sensitivity of the Super-Kamiokande analysis) and is consistent with RSFP as a subdominant neutrino process in the convection zone. The data display effects that correspond to solar-cycle changes in the magnetic field, typical of the convection zone. This subdominant process requires new physics: a large neutrino transition magnetic moment and a light sterile neutrino, since an effect of this amplitude occurring in the convection zone cannot be achieved with the three known neutrinos. It does, however, resolve current problems in providing fits to all experimental estimates of the mean neutrino flux, and is compatible with the extensive evidence for solar neutrino flux variability.

9 pages, 10 figures (5 in color); new figure, data added to another figure, more clarification, especially on the origin of the effect and its connection to sterile neutrinos; v3 is updated, especially using the results of hep-ph/0402194; v4 is a further update, mainly of references, with a small change to make the title more appropriate; v5 includes more clarification and the result of now having hep-ph/0411148 and hep-ph/0501205 and so increases the length; v6 has a small change in the title and some additional information at the referee's request to correspond to the version to be published in Astroparticle Physics

References in corpus (10)

• First Results from KamLAND: Evidence for Reactor Anti-Neutrino Disappearance
• Homestake result, sterile neutrinos and low energy solar neutrino experiments
• A search for periodic modulations of the solar neutrino flux in Super-Kamiokande-I
• Analysis of Super-Kamiokande 5-day Measurements of the Solar Neutrino Flux
• Time-Series Analysis of Super-Kamiokande Measurements of the Solar Neutrino Flux
• Combined and Comparative Analysis of Power Spectra
• Neutrino physics from new SNO and KamLAND data and future prospects
• LMA and sterile neutrinos: a case for resonance spin flavour precession?
• Search for time modulations in the Gallex/GNO solar neutrino data
• SNO, SuperKamiokande data, antineutrinos and sterile neutrinos

Cited by in corpus (18)

• Neutrino Oscillations as a Probe of Light Scalar Dark Matter
• Contrasting solar and reactor neutrinos with a non-zero value of theta13
• Power-Spectrum Analyses of Super-Kamiokande Solar Neutrino Data: Variability and its Implications for Solar Physics and Neutrino Physics
• Seasonal Modulation of the ${}^7$Be Solar Neutrino Rate in Borexino
• Likelihood scan of the Super-Kamiokande I time series data
• Comparative analysis of Gallex and GNO solar neutrino data
• A search for evidence of solar rotation in Super-Kamiokande solar neutrino dataset
• Spectral Content of 22Na/44Ti Decay Data: Implications for a Solar Influence
• Low Energy Solar Neutrinos and Spin Flavour Precession
• Power-spectrum analysis of Super-Kamiokande solar neutrino data, taking into account asymmetry in the error estimates
• Evidence for R-Mode Oscillations in Super-Kamiokande Solar Neutrino Data
• More General BBN Constraints on Neutrino Oscillations Parameters - Relaxed or Strengthened
• Astrophysics in 2005
• SNO+: predictions from standard solar models and spin flavour precession
• Anomalies in Radioactive Decay Rates: A Bibliography of Measurements and Theory
• ${}^{7}Be$ Neutrino Signal Variation in KamLAND
• Comparative Analysis of Super-Kamiokande and SNO Solar-Neutrino Data and the Photospheric Magnetic Field
• Model Independent Constraints on Solar Neutrinos