EXPERIMENTAL DETECTION OF THE CNO CYCLE

Misiaszek, M.; Agostini, M.; Altenmuller, K.; Appel, S.; Atroshchenko, V.; Bagdasarian, Z.; Basilico, D.; Bellini, G.; Benziger, J.; Biondi, R.; Bravo, D.; Caccianiga, B.; Calaprice, F.; Cavalcante, P.; Chepurnov, A.; D'Angelo, D.; Davini, S.; Derbin, A.; Di Giacinto, A.; Di Marcello, V.; Ding, X. F.; Di Ludovico, A.; Di Noto, L.; Drachnev, I.; Formozov, A.; Franco, D.; Galbiati, C.; Ghiano, C.; Giammarchi, M.; Goretti, A.; Gottel, A. S.; Gromov, M.; Guffanti, D.; Ianni, A.; Ianni, A.; Jany, A.; Jeschke, D.; Kobychev, V.; Korga, G.; Kumaran, S.; Laubenstein, M.; Litvinovich, E.; Lombardi, P.; Lomskaya, I.; Ludhova, L.; Lukyanchenko, G.; Lukyanchenko, L.; Machulin, I.; Martyn, J.; Meroni, E.; Meyer, M.; Miramonti, L.; Misiaszek, M.; Muratova, V.; Neumair, B.; Nieslony, M.; Nugmanov, R.; Oberauer, L.; Orekhov, V.; Ortica, F.; Pallavicini, M.; Papp, L.; Pelicci, L.; Penek, O.; Pietrofaccia, L.; Pilipenko, N.; Pocar, A.; Raikov, G.; Ranalli, M. T.; Ranucci, G.; Razeto, A.; Re, A.; Redchuk, M.; Romani, A.; Rossi, N.; Schonert, S.; Semenov, D.; Settanta, G.; Skorokhvatov, M.; Singhal, A.; Smirnov, O.; Sotnikov, A.; Suvorov, Y.; Tartaglia, R.; Testera, G.; Thurn, J.; Unzhakov, E.; Villante, F.; Vishneva, A.; Vogelaar, R. B.; von Feilitzsch, F.; Wojcik, M.; Wurm, M.; Zavatarelli, S.; Zuber, K.; Zuzel, G.

doi:10.5506/APhysPolBSupp.15.3-A24

Borexino recently reported the first experimental evidence for a CNO neutrino. Since this process accounts for only about 1% of the Sun’s total energy production, the associated neutrino flux is remarkably low compared to that of the pp chain, the dominant hydrogen-burning process. This experimental evidence for the existence of CNO neutrinos was obtained using a highly radio-pure Borexino liquid scintillator. Improvements in the thermal stabilization of the detector over the last five years have allowed us to exploit a method of constraining the rate of 210Bi background. Since the CNO cycle is dominant in massive stars, this result is the first experimental evidence of a major stellar hydrogen-to-helium conversion mechanism in the Universe.

EXPERIMENTAL DETECTION OF THE CNO CYCLE

Misiaszek M.;Agostini M.;Altenmuller K.;Appel S.;Atroshchenko V.;Bagdasarian Z.;Basilico D.;Bellini G.;Benziger J.;Biondi R.;Bravo D.;Caccianiga B.;Calaprice F.;Cavalcante P.;Chepurnov A.;D'Angelo D.;Davini S.;Derbin A.;Di Giacinto A.;Di Marcello V.;Ding X. F.;Di Ludovico A.;Di Noto L.;Drachnev I.;Formozov A.;Franco D.;Galbiati C.;Ghiano C.;Giammarchi M.;Goretti A.;Gottel A. S.;Gromov M.;Guffanti D.;Ianni A.;Ianni A.;Jany A.;Jeschke D.;Kobychev V.;Korga G.;Kumaran S.;Laubenstein M.;Litvinovich E.;Lombardi P.;Lomskaya I.;Ludhova L.;Lukyanchenko G.;Lukyanchenko L.;Machulin I.;Martyn J.;Meroni E.;Meyer M.;Miramonti L.;Misiaszek M.;Muratova V.;Neumair B.;Nieslony M.;Nugmanov R.;Oberauer L.;Orekhov V.;Ortica F.;Pallavicini M.;Papp L.;Pelicci L.;Penek O.;Pietrofaccia L.;Pilipenko N.;Pocar A.;Raikov G.;Ranalli M. T.;Ranucci G.;Razeto A.;Re A.;Redchuk M.;Romani A.;Rossi N.;Schonert S.;Semenov D.;Settanta G.;Skorokhvatov M.;Singhal A.;Smirnov O.;Sotnikov A.;Suvorov Y.;Tartaglia R.;Testera G.;Thurn J.;Unzhakov E.;Villante F.;Vishneva A.;Vogelaar R. B.;von Feilitzsch F.;Wojcik M.;Wurm M.;Zavatarelli S.;Zuber K.;Zuzel G.

2022-01-01

Abstract

Borexino recently reported the first experimental evidence for a CNO neutrino. Since this process accounts for only about 1% of the Sun’s total energy production, the associated neutrino flux is remarkably low compared to that of the pp chain, the dominant hydrogen-burning process. This experimental evidence for the existence of CNO neutrinos was obtained using a highly radio-pure Borexino liquid scintillator. Improvements in the thermal stabilization of the detector over the last five years have allowed us to exploit a method of constraining the rate of 210Bi background. Since the CNO cycle is dominant in massive stars, this result is the first experimental evidence of a major stellar hydrogen-to-helium conversion mechanism in the Universe.