Search results for "Borexino"

Production and characterization of a custom-made 228Th source with reduced neutron source strength for the Borexino experiment

2012

A custom-made 228Th source of several MBq activity was produced for the Borexino experiment for studying the external background of the detector. The aim was to reduce the unwanted neutron emission produced via (alpha,n) reactions in ceramics used typically for commercial 228Th sources. For this purpose a ThCl4 solution was converted chemically into ThO2 and embedded into a gold foil. The paper describes the production and the characterization of the custom-made source by means of gamma-activity, dose rate and neutron source strength measurements. From gamma-spectroscopic measurements it was deduced that the activity transfer from the initial solution to the final source was >91% (at 68%…

Constraining neutrino magnetic moment with solar and reactor neutrino data

2004

We use solar neutrino data to derive stringent bounds on Majorana neutrino transition moments (TMs). Such moments, if present, would contribute to the neutrino-electron scattering cross section and hence alter the signal observed in Super-Kamiokande. Using the latest solar neutrino data, combined with the results of the reactor experiment KamLAND, we perform a simultaneous fit of the oscillation parameters and TMs. Furthermore, we include data from the reactor experiments Rovno, TEXONO and MUNU in our analysis, improving significantly the current constraints on TMs. A comparison with previous works shows that our bounds are the strongest and most general results presented up to now. Finally…

Neutrinos from the primary proton–proton fusion process in the Sun

2014

International audience; In the core of the Sun, energy is released through sequences of nuclear reactions that convert hydrogen into helium. The primary reaction is thought to be the fusion of two protons with the emission of a low-energy neutrino. These so-called pp neutrinos constitute nearly the entirety of the solar neutrino flux, vastly outnumbering those emitted in the reactions that follow. Although solar neutrinos from secondary processes have been observed, proving the nuclear origin of the Sun's energy and contributing to the discovery of neutrino oscillations, those from proton-proton fusion have hitherto eluded direct detection. Here we report spectral observations of pp neutrin…

Three-flavour neutrino oscillation update

2008

We review the present status of three-flavour neutrino oscillations, taking into account the latest available neutrino oscillation data presented at the Neutrino 2008 Conference. This includes the data released this summer by the MINOS collaboration, the data of the neutral current counter phase of the SNO solar neutrino experiment, as well as the latest KamLAND and Borexino data. We give the updated determinations of the leading 'solar' and 'atmospheric' oscillation parameters. We find from global data that the mixing angle $\theta_{13}$ is consistent with zero within $0.9\sigma$ and we derive an upper bound of $\sin^2\theta_{13} < 0.035 (0.056)$ at 90% CL (3$\sigma$).

A calorimeter for the precise determination of the activity of the 144Ce-144Pr anti-neutrino source in the SOX experiment

2018

We describe the design and the performance of a high precision thermal calorimeter, whose purpose was the measurement of the total activity of the 144Ce-144Pr anti-neutrino source of the SOX (Short distance neutrino Oscillation with BoreXino) experiment. SOX aimed at the search for eV-scale sterile neutrinos by means of the Borexino detector at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy and of a very powerful artificial anti-neutrino source located at 8.51 m from the detector center. In order to obtain the required sensitivity, the activity of the source (approximately 150 kCi) had to be known at 1% precision. In this work we report the design of the experimental apparatus and the res…

Experimental searches on sterile neutrinos

2015

While neutrino oscillations among the three active neutrino flavors are by now well established, several anomalies observed at relatively short baselines in oscillation experiments hint towards the existence of one or more additional sterile neutrino flavors. As a consequence, several experiments are in preparation that are dedicated to test the sterile neutrino hypothesis. The present contribution gives an overview of the on-going experimental efforts, highlighting the two projects that are foreseen to start in 2015: SOX deploying a radioactive neutrino source at short distance from the BOREXINO detector at LNGS, and STEREO searching for sterile neutrino oscillations at short distance from…

CeSOX: An experimental test of the sterile neutrino hypothesis with Borexino

2017

International audience; The third phase of the Borexino experiment that’s referred to as SOX is devoted to test the hypothesis of the existence of one (or more) sterile neutrinos at a short baseline (~5–10m). The experimental measurement will be made with artificial sources namely with a 144Ce–144Pr antineutrino source at the first stage (CeSOX) and possibly with a 51Cr neutrino source at the second one. The fixed 144Ce–144Pr sample will be placed beneath the detector in a special pit and the initial activity will be about 100 – 150 kCi. The start of data taking is scheduled for April 2018. The article gives a short description of the preparation for the first stage and shows the expected s…

The measurement of the pp chain solar neutrinos in Borexino

2019

Constraining nonstandard neutrino-quark interactions with solar, reactor and accelerator data

2009

We present a reanalysis of nonstandard neutrino-down-quark interactions of electron and tau neutrinos using solar, reactor and accelerator data. In addition updating the analysis by including new solar data from SNO phase III and Borexino, as well as new KamLAND data and solar fluxes, a key role is played in our analysis by the combination of these results with the CHARM data. The latter allows us to better constrain the axial and axial-vector electron and tau-neutrino nonstandard interaction parameters characterizing the deviations from the Standard Model predictions.

Recent Borexino results and prospects for the near future

2015

The Borexino experiment, located in the Gran Sasso National Laboratory, is an organic liquid scintillator detector conceived for the real time spectroscopy of low energy solar neutrinos. The data taking campaign phase I (2007 - 2010) has allowed the first independent measurements of 7Be, 8B and pep fluxes as well as the first measurement of anti-neutrinos from the earth. After a purification of the scintillator, Borexino is now in phase II since 2011. We review here the recent results achieved during 2013, concerning the seasonal modulation in the 7Be signal, the study of cosmogenic backgrounds and the updated measurement of geo-neutrinos. We also review the upcoming measurements from phase…