Bulletin of the American Physical Society
APS April Meeting 2016
Volume 61, Number 6
Saturday–Tuesday, April 16–19, 2016; Salt Lake City, Utah
Session Q1: Plenary II: Fred Kavli Keynote Session Commemorating the 60th Anniversary of Cowan and Reines Detection of the Neutrino in 1956Invited Session Undergraduate Students
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Sponsoring Units: APS Chair: Homer Neal, APS President and University of Michigan Room: Ballroom E-J |
Monday, April 18, 2016 8:30AM - 9:06AM |
Q1.00001: The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory: Observation of Flavor Change for Solar Neutrinos Invited Speaker: A. B. McDonald The Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) detector was developed by an international scientific collaboration (Canada, US, UK) to use 1000 tonnes of heavy water 2 km underground in ultra-clean conditions to observe flavor change for solar neutrinos from $^{8}$B decay in the sun. A clear observation of neutrino change was obtained by comparing two neutrino reactions on deuterium, one sensitive only to electron flavor neutrinos and one sensitive equally to all active neutrino types. The design and construction and the operation and data analysis for the three separate phases of the experiment will be described. The initial phase with pure heavy water provided conclusive evidence for flavor change and hence finite mass for neutrinos. Subsequent phases within added NaCl and with an array of neutron detectors provided improved accuracy for the measurements of oscillation parameters. The observed total flux of $^{8}$B solar electron neutrinos is in excellent agreement with and more accurate than solar models. Modification of the SNO detector to create SNO$+$ and expansion of the laboratory to create a long-term international underground laboratory, SNOLAB, will be briefly described. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, April 18, 2016 9:06AM - 9:42AM |
Q1.00002: Atmospheric Neutrinos Invited Speaker: Takaaki Kajita Atmospheric neutrinos are produced by cosmic ray interactions in the atmosphere. These neutrinos have been used to study neutrino oscillations. I will discuss the neutrino oscillation studies with atmospheric neutrinos. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, April 18, 2016 9:42AM - 10:18AM |
Q1.00003: John Bahcall and the Solar Neutrino Problem Invited Speaker: Neta Bahcall “I feel like dancing”, cheered John Bahcall upon hearing the exciting news from the SNO experiment in 2001. The results confirmed, with remarkable accuracy, John’s 40-year effort to predict the rate of neutrinos from the Sun based on sophisticated Solar models. What began in 1962 by John Bahcall and Ray Davis as a pioneering project to test and confirm how the Sun shines, quickly turned into a four-decade-long mystery of the 'Solar Neutrino Problem': John’s models predicted a higher rate of neutrinos than detected by Davis and follow-up experiments. Was the theory of the Sun wrong? Were John’s calculations in error? Were the neutrino experiments wrong? John worked tirelessly to understand the physics behind the Solar Neutrino Problem; he led the efforts to greatly increase the accurately of the solar model, to understand its seismology and neutrino fluxes, to use the neutrino fluxes as a test for new physics, and to advocate for important new experiments. It slowly became clear that none of the then discussed possibilities — error in the Solar model or neutrino experiments — was the culprit. The SNO results revealed that John’s calculations, and hence the theory of the Solar model, have been correct all along. Comparison of the data with John’s theory demanded new physics — neutrino oscillations. The Solar Neutrino saga is one of the most amazing scientific stories of the century: exploring a simple question of 'How the Sun Shines?’ led to the discovery of new physics. John's theoretical calculations are an integral part of this journey; they provide the foundation for the Solar Neutrino Problem, for confirming how the Sun shines, and for the need of neutrino oscillations. His tenacious persistence, dedication, enthusiasm and love for the project, and his leadership and advocacy of neutrino physics over many decades are a remarkable story of scientific triumph. I know John is smiling today. [Preview Abstract] |
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