Vol.
I September 15th – 21st, 2009
THE GALLIUM NUTRINO OBSERVATORY –
FROM GALLEX TO GNO [PART-II]
Looking back at the latest
results of GALLEX
GALLEX was operating
between 1991 and 1997 with a
30 tons gallium detector at
LNGS. In 1997, GALLEX
completed its scientific
program: the achieved results
can be summarized in the
following manner:
* The measured solar neutrino
interaction rate on 71Ga is 77.5
± 6.2 (stat.) +4.3
−4.7(sys.) SNU 1 (1σ) (1SNU
= 10−36 captures per second)
This result was obtained after
5 years of measurements (65
’solar run’ extractions)
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performed in the time period
1991-1997.
* The target solution was
exposed two times to a very
intense (>60 PBq) 51Cr source
of monochromatic neutrinos
(750 keV, 90%; 430 keV,
10%). The ratio measured
signal / expected signal was
found to be R=0.93 ± 0.08.
* A test of the systematics on
the extraction efficiency was
performed at the end of the
experiment by introducing in
the solution several thousands
atoms of radioactive 71As
(decaying into 71Ge with a
kinematic which closely
mimics solar neutrinos); the
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result confirms that the 71Ge
signal is as expected within
1%.
The measured value of the rate
is substantially below the
predictions of the various
standard solar models (about
130 SNU). The results of the
two Cr source experiments
and of the As experiments
validate the GALLEX solar
neutrino experiment, and limit
any systematic biases to less
than a few percent.
Given that the solar
luminosity is provided by the
pp-fusion reaction in the core
of the Sun, and the 8B solar
neutrino flux is as measured
by Superkamiokande, one can
conclude from the GALLEX
result alone that the 7Be solar
neutrino flux is much below
what is expected from the
standard solar model.
The GNO project takes over
GALLEX completed its
experimental program in
March 1997. There was then
the question, if to dismantle
the detector or to go on with
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the observations, possibly
with some improvements in
the experimental apparatus,
and an enlargement of the
gallium mass.
The scientific community
pushed for a continuation of
the observations with the
gallium detector at LNGS for
a time period of the order of
10 years. The GNO (Gallium
Neutrino Observatory) project
was then proposed. For an
extensive discussion of the
over all GNO project see the
proposal.
The main motivation for GNO
is that the only experiments
sensitive to the main
component of the solar
neutrino flux (the p-p
neutrinos) which can operate
in the next decade are those
based on the use of gallium,
namely GNO and SAGE.
Unfortunately, SAGE suffers
of many difficulties related to
the present economical and
political situation in Russia:
thus the gallium detector at
Gran Sasso is going to be
probably the only low energy
solar neutrino detector
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continuously operating in the
next years. The GNO targets
are the following:
1. Measurement of the
interaction rate of low energy
solar neutrinos on gallium,
with an accuracy of 5 SNU if
the central value will be 77
SNU
2. Study of possible time
variation of the rate, with a
sensitivity of about 15%.
Three steps are planned:
1. To start a new series of
solar runs with 30 tons of
gallium using the same but
renovated experimental set-up
of GALLEX for the extraction
and synthesis, and a new
electronics and DAQ for
counting (GNO30);
2. to increase the target mass
to about 66 tons, the
maximum amount of gallium
that can be accommodated in
the two available tanks
(GNO66);
3. to further increase the mass
up to about 100 tons, with the
last 35 tons possibly in
metallic form (GNO100).

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