A Model Independent Approach to Solar Neutrino Experiments

Abstract

In the first part of this report we present the results of a model independent analysis of the existing solar neutrino data. We obtained forbidden regions in the plane of the parameters Delta m^2 and sin^2 2 theta in two cases: A) Without any restrictions on the values of the solar neutrino fluxes from different reactions; B) With some restrictions that take into account the predictions of all the existing solar models. We show that the existing solar neutrino data allow to exclude rather large regions in the plane of the parameters Delta m^2 and sin^2 2 theta (especially in case B). In the second part of this report we present a general method for the analysis of solar neutrino data that can be applied to future solar neutrino experiments (SNO, Super-Kamiokande, Icarus) in which high energy 8B neutrinos will be detected. We show that these experiments will allow: 1) To reveal in a model independent way the presence of sterile neutrinos in the flux of solar neutrinos on the earth and to obtain lower bounds for the probability of transition of nu_e's into sterile states; 2) To obtain directly from the experimental data the initial 8B nu_e flux and the probability of nu_e's to survive (if there are no transitions of nu_e's into sterile states).