Fourier analysis of real-time, high-statistics solar neutrino observations

Abstract

Solar neutrino oscillations with wavelengths comparable to the Earth-Sun distance provide a viable explanations of the long-standing solar neutrino deficit. They imply a time-dependent modulation of the solar neutrino flux due to the eccentricity of the Earth orbit. Motivated by this testable prediction, we propose a Fourier analysis of the signal observable in real-time, solar neutrino experiments. We give the general expressions of the Fourier coefficients and of their correlated uncertainties in the presence of background. The expressions assume a particularly compact form in the case of two-flavor neutrino oscillations in vacuum. We discuss the sensitivity to the lowest harmonics of the new-generation, high-statistics experiments SuperKamiokande, Sudbury Neutrino Observatory, and Borexino.

10 pages (RevTeX) + 1 figure (postscript); requires epsfig.sty

References in corpus (1)

• Constraints on Energy Independent Solutions of the Solar Neutrino Problem

Cited by in corpus (10)

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• Another Look at Just-So Solar Neutrino Oscillations
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• Unbinned test of time-dependent signals in real-time neutrino oscillation experiments
• Enhancing the Seasonal Variation Effect in the Case of the Vacuum Oscillation Solution of the Solar Neutrino Problem
• A Mass Matrix for Atmospheric, Solar, and LSND Neutrino Oscillations
• Probing an extended region of Delta m^2 with rapidly oscillating 7Be solar neutrinos