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Scientists have detected neutrinos formed during a largely mysterious process in the Sun, in what they are hailing as a major breakthrough.
The discovery could help reveal the structure of our Sun and the elements within it. But it could also allow us to better understand other phenomena across the universe, such as supernovae or the insides of distant stars.
The survey was carried out using the Borexino Collaboration, a vast particle physics experiment located in Italy and on which researchers from all over the world worked. It aims to better understand the processes that power the Sun, as well as those of other stars.
An expert who was not involved in the research said the new findings “surpass a milestone in neutrino physics.”
“Measurements of these neutrinos have the potential to resolve uncertainties about the composition of the solar core and offer crucial insights into the formation of heavy stars,” wrote Gabriel D Orebi Gann of the University of California, Berkeley, in an article accompanying the publication of the search in Nature.
“The huge achievement of the Borexino Collaboration brings us closer to a complete understanding of our Sun and the formation of massive stars, and is likely to set the goal in this field for years to come.”
The stars shine from the nuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium. This can happen in two ways: the so-called proton-proton or pp chain, which involves only hydrogen and helium, or the carbon-nitrogen-oxygen or CNO cycle, where fusion is catalyzed by carbon, nitrogen and oxygen.
In our Sun and other stars of similar size, the pp chain represents about 99% of the energy. Researchers have studied it extensively since the early 1970s, and the Borexino experiment has helped contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the processes that govern it.
But the CNO cycle – which represents a small but important minority of energy production – has proved to be almost entirely evasive. The small number of neutrinos that come from that mechanism means that they are difficult to separate from the background signals.
However, the researchers say they have detected neutrinos from that process. Because the Borexino detector is sensitive and highly tuned so that it can block background noise – following recent discoveries that allow the detector to prevent contamination of the detector – it has been able to specifically pick up those neutrinos, which until now have remained mysterious.
The two nylon vessels in the Borexino core filled with water during the detector’s initial operation
(Borexino Collaboration)
It is the first time ever that researchers have been able to collect those neutrinos or direct evidence of the CNO cycle in any form. It is the first time that humanity has seen evidence of the mechanism that converts hydrogen to helium throughout the universe.
It also confirms theories about that cycle, including the fact that it accounts for only one percent of solar energy.
Although this is a small part of the Sun’s power, the discovery could lead to great breakthroughs in understanding the stars, the researchers say. The measurements can be used to understand how much carbon, nitrogen and oxygen could be found in stars like our Sun and how it could be structured.
Additionally, other heavier stars are believed to rely on the CNO cycle far more than our Sun, where that process is the dominant way of producing energy. The new findings could help show whether this is true and to what extent, allowing us to understand how other stars are fed as well.
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