Solar Neutrinos. I. Theoretical

The principal energy source for main-sequence like the sun is believed to be the fusion, in deep interior of the star, of four protons to an alpha particle. The fusion reactions thought to be initiated by the sequence ¹H (p, ^ (+) v) ²H (p, γ) ^ (3) He and terminated by the following: (i) ^ (3) He (^ (3) He, 2p) ^ (4) He; (ii) ^ (3) He (α, γ) ^ (7) Be (e^ (-) v) ^ (7) Li (p, α) ^ (4) He; and (iii) ^ (3) He (α, γ) ^ (7) Be (p, γ) ^ (8) B (e^ (+) v) ^ (8) Be* (α) ^ (4) He. No direct evidence for the existence of nuclear reactions in the interiors of stars has yet been obtained because the mean free path for photons emitted in the center of a star is typically less than 10^ (-10) of the radius of star. Only neutrinos, with their extremely interaction cross sections, can enable us see into the interior of a star and thus verify the hypothesis of nuclear energy generation stars.