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Title: Measurement of low energy neutrino absorption probability in thallium 205

Conference ·
OSTI ID:7016638

A major aspect of the P-P neutrino flux determination using thallium 205 is the very difficult problem of experimentally demonstrating the neutrino reaction cross section with about 10% accuracy. One will soon be able to completely strip the electrons from atomic thallium 205 and to maintain the bare nucleus in this state in the heavy storage ring to be built at GSI Darmstadt. This nucleus can decay by emitting a beta-minus particle into the bound K-level of the daughter lead 205 ion as the only energetically open decay channel, (plus, of course, an antineutrino). This single channel beta decay explores the same nuclear wave functions of initial and final states as does the neutrino capture in atomic thallium 205, and thus its probability or rate is governed by the same nuclear matrix elements that affect both weak interactions. Measuring the rate of accumulation of lead 205 ions in the circulating beam of thallium 205 ions gives directly the cross section of the neutrino capture reaction. The calculations of the expected rates under realistic experimental conditions will be shown to be very favorable for the measurement. A special calibration experiment to verify this method and check the theoretical calculations will be suggested. Finally, the neutrino cross section calculation based on the observed rate of the single channel beta-minus decay reaction will be shown. Demonstrating bound state beta decay may be the first verification of the theory of this very important process that influences beta decay rates of several isotopes in stellar interiors, e.g., Re-187, that play important roles in geologic and cosmologic dating and nucleosynthesis. 21 refs., 2 figs. (DWL)

Research Organization:
Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
DOE Contract Number:
W-31109-ENG-38
OSTI ID:
7016638
Report Number(s):
CONF-8609235-1; ON: DE87004655
Resource Relation:
Conference: International conference on solar neutrino detection with /sup 205/T1 and related topics, Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia, 29 Sep 1986; Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English