Measurement of the Solar Neutrino Capture Rate by the Russian-American Gallium Solar Neutrino Experiment During One Half of the 22-Year Cycle of Solar Activity

Abstract

We present the results of measurements of the solar neutrino capture rate in gallium metal by the Russian-American Gallium Experiment SAGE during slightly more than half of a 22-year cycle of solar activity. Combined analysis of the data of 92 runs during the 12-year period January 1990 through December 2001 gives a capture rate of solar neutrinos with energy more than 233 keV of 70.8 +5.3/-5.2 (stat.) +3.7/-3.2 (syst.) SNU. This represents only slightly more than half of the predicted standard solar model rate of 128 SNU. We give the results of new runs beginning in April 1998 and the results of combined analysis of all runs since 1990 during yearly, monthly, and bimonthly periods. Using a simple analysis of the SAGE results combined with those from all other solar neutrino experiments, we estimate the electron neutrino pp flux that reaches the Earth to be (4.6 +/- 1.1) E10/(cm^2-s). Assuming that neutrinos oscillate to active flavors the pp neutrino flux emitted in the solar fusion reaction is approximately (7.7 +/- 1.8) E10/(cm^2-s), in agreement with the standard solar model calculation of (5.95 +/- 0.06) E10/(cm^2-s).