Real-time measurements of solar $pp$ neutrinos using $^{131}$Xe

Abstract

Various large-scale experiments for double beta decay or dark matter are based on xenon. Current experiments are on the tonne scale but there are also ideas to aim for even larger sizes in the future. Here we study the potential of the isotope $^{131}$Xe to allow to make real-time measurements of solar $pp$ neutrinos, besides classical neutrino-electron scattering. Improved nuclear models are used to determine the cross-section of neutrinos on $^{131}$Xe. The present calculations deviate significantly from the previous ones due to updated estimates for the excited-state contributions. The updated capture-rate estimate for $pp$ neutrinos is $(4.47\pm 0.09)\ \rm SNU$ and for all solar neutrinos $(80\pm 21)\ \rm SNU$, with neutrino survival probabilities taken into account. Depending on the amount of Xe, solar $pp$ neutrinos might be measured with rates of 100 per day, thus allowing to monitor them in real time for a long period.