Observational Neutrino Astrophysics

DEC 01, 1987

Pioneering measurements of the solar neutrino flux and detailed observations of the neutrino burst from SN1987a and of solar boron‐8 neutrinos have signaled the birth of observational neutrino astrophysics.

DOI: 10.1063/1.881092

Masa‐Toshi Koshiba

Neutrinos have been an important feature of theories of stellar processes for many decades. As a star forms from interstellar matter, its temperature gradually increases because of its gravitational contraction. However, this thermal energy is not sufficient to make it shine for long. We believe that the primary energy source of the Sun, and of stars in general, is a series of nuclear fusion reactions, occurring deep inside the star, in which energy is released as four protons are converted into a helium nucleus. In the process, two protons are converted into neutrons by each emitting a positron and an electron neutrino. Thus a star must emit electron neutrinos constantly.

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References

1. K. Hirata et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 58, 1490 (1987). https://doi.org/PRLTAO
The Kamiokande II collaboration consists of K. Hirata, T. Kajita, T. Kifune, M. Koshiba, M. Nakahata, Y. Ohyama, N. Sato, T. Suda, A. Suzuki, M. Takita, Y. Totsuka (Univ. of Tokyo); K. Takahashi, T. Tanimori (KEK); K. Miyano, M. Yamada (Univ. of Niigata); E. W. Beier, L. R. Feldsher, S. B. Kim, A. K. Mann, F. M. Newcomer, R. VanBerg, W. Zhang (Univ. of Pennsylvania); and B. G. Cortez (AT&T Bell Laboratories, Holmdel, N.J.).
2. R. M. Bionta et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 58, 1494 (1987).https://doi.org/PRLTAO
3. M. Nakahata, Workshop on Grand Unification, Syracuse, N.Y., 1987, and Symposium on SN1987a at Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, 1987. T. Kajita, Rencontre de Moriond, March 1987. A. Suzuki, in 12th Int. Conf. on Neutrino Physics and Astrophysics, Sendai, 1986, J. Yuta, S. Tanaka, eds., World Scientific, Singapore (1986), p. 306. K. Hirata et al., Univ. of Pennsylvania preprint UPR‐0144E (July 1987).
4. M. Koshiba, ICOBAN'84, Park City, Utah, 1984, and Proc. 22nd Int. Conf. on High‐Energy Physics, Leipzig. 1984, vol. 1, p. 244.
Y. Totsuka, Proc. 7th Workshop on Grand Unification (ICOBAN'86), Toyama (Japan) 1986, J. Arafune, ed., World Scientific, Singapore (1987), p. 118.
5. M. Koshiba, Workshop on Future Projects, Inst. of Cosmic‐Ray Research, Univ. of Tokyo, 1986. M. Koshiba, S. Orito, K. Kawagoe, Workshop on Non‐Accelerator Physics, KEK, Tsukuba, Japan, 1986.

More about the authors

Masa‐Toshi Koshiba, Tokai University, Kanagawa, Japan.