Solar Neutrinos (with a tribute to John. N. Bahcall)

Abstract

John N. Bahcall championed solar neutrino physics for many years. Thanks to his pioneering and long-lasting contributions, this field of research has not only reached maturity, but has also opened a new window on physics beyond the standard electroweak model through the phenomenon of neutrino flavor oscillations. We briefly outline some recent accomplishments in the field, and also discuss a couple of issues that do not seem to fit in the ``standard picture,'' namely, the chemical controversy at the solar surface, and possible implications of recent gallium radioactive source experiments.