Radiochemical Solar Neutrino Experiments - Successful and Otherwise.
Over the years, several different radiochemical systems have been proposed as solar neutrino detectors. Of these, two achieved operating status and obtained important results that helped to define the current field of neutrino physics: the first solar-neutrino experiment, the Chlorine Detector ({sup 37}Cl) that was developed by chemist Raymond Davis and colleagues at the Homestake Mine, and the subsequent Gallium ({sup 71}Ga) Detectors that were operated by (a) the SAGE collaboration at the Baksan Laboratory and (b) the GALLEX/GNO collaborations at the Gran Sasso National Laboratory. These experiments have been extensively discussed in the literature and in many previous International Neutrino Conferences. In this paper, I present important updates to the results from SAGE and GALLEX/GNO. I also review the principles of the radiochemical detectors and briefly describe several different detectors that have been proposed. In light of the well-known successes that have been subsequently obtained by real-time neutrino detectors such as Kamiokande, Super-Kamiokande, SNO, and KamLAND, I do not anticipate that any new radiochemical neutrino detectors will be built. At present, only SAGE is still operating; the Chlorine and GNO radiochemical detectors have been decommissioned and dismantled.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Doe - Office Of Science
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC02-98CH10886
- OSTI ID:
- 944113
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-81686-2008-CP; R&D Project: 04520; KB0401022; TRN: US0900527
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Proceedings of the Neutrino 2008 Conference; Christchurch, New Zealand; 20080525 through 20080531
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Present and near-future radiochemical solar neutrino detectors: {sup 37}Cl, {sup 71}Ga, {sup 127}I, and {sup 7}Li
Analysis of ultra low activities to detect solar neutrinos with the radiochemical GALLEX detector