First real time detection of 7Be solar neutrinos by Borexino

First real time detection of ⁷Be solar neutrinos by Borexino
Physics Letters B Volume 658, Issue 4,
3 January 2008, Pages 101-108

doi:10.1016/j.physletb.2007.09.054
Submitted 10 August 2007, Revised 12 September 2007, Accepted 20 September 2007, Available online 5 October 2007  (local copy; preprint on arXiv)

Abstract

This Letter reports a direct measurement of the ⁷Be solar neutrino signal rate performed with the Borexino low background liquid scintillator detector at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso. This is the first real-time spectral measurement of sub-MeV solar neutrinos. The result for 0.862 MeV ⁷Be neutrinos is 47 ±7_stat ±12_sys counts/(day⋅100ton), consistent with predictions of Standard Solar Models and neutrino oscillations with LMA-MSW parameters.

Borexino first results have got some press coverage (partial list):

• Aug 27, 2007: Borexino featured on /.
• Aug 20, 2007: Borexino featured on “Le Scienze” (Italian edition of “Scientific American“)
• Aug 20, 2007: Borexino featured on “La Repubblica” (Italian)
• Aug 20, 2007: NSF Press Release 07-105: “Catching Some Rays”