Experimental Detection of the CNO Cycle

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Contributors

  • Borexino Collaboration - (Author)

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.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number3-A24
JournalActa Physica Polonica B, Proceedings Supplement
Volume15
Issue number3
Publication statusPublished - 2022
Peer-reviewedYes

Keywords

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