the sun as borexino sees it in real time - tum.de · the sun as borexino sees it in real time water...
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Hydrogen Hydrogen
Fusion
Deuterium
FusionFusionFusionFusionFusionFusion
THE SUN AS BOREXINO SEES IT IN REAL TIME
Hydrogen
Deuterium
Water
Hydorcarbonscintillator
(pseudocumene)
Scintillator300 tons
organic liquid scintillator
2.200 photomultiplier tubes(facing inwards)
Vessel retention ropes
Muons detector:200 photomultiplier tubes
(facing outwards)
Stainless steelwater tank
18 m diameter
Gran Sasso
By analyzing P-P neutrino emission,Borexino has shown that the energyproduced today in the Sun’s core is equalto that produced 100.000 years ago.
Gran Sassomountain
1,4 km of rock
Borexino displays arussian doll structure.Surrounded by 2.400tons of highly purifiedwater, a stainless steelsphere contains 1.000tons of a liquidhydrocarbon(pseudocumene).At its center, within a smaller nylon sphere, are 300 tons of scintillating liquid.
The photomultiplier tubes,acting as ultra-sensitive artificial eyes, detect and record the light flashes produced by the neutrinos.
Borexino observes dozens ofthese signals every day.
N
P
P
P
100.000years
LNGSLaboratori Nazionali
del Gran Sasso
Borexino
THE THERMONUCLEAR FUSION REACTION THAT PRODUCESTHE P-P NEUTRINOS RECENTLY STUDIED BY BOREXINO
CORE
RADIATIVEZONE
CONVECTIVE ZONE
INSIDETHE SUN
Stainless steel sphere13,7 m diameter
THE BOREXINO DETECTOR: HOW IT WORKS
Nylon sphere8,5 m diameter
Schieldingsteel dishes
Thin nylon film(radon gas barrier)
PHOTONSThe radiation studied so far ismade up of photons, whichinteract with solar matter.It takes about 100.000years for it to reachthe Sun’s surfaceand reach Earth.
Neutrinos are particles with noelectric charge and a tiny mass.They rarely interact with matterand may cross it undisturbed.That’s why they take 8 minutesto get there from the coreof the Sun to the Earth.
NEUTRINOS
8 minutes
Positron
Neutrinowith maximunenergyof 420keV Within this
innermost sphereneutrinos interact with the liquid scintillatorproducing small flashes of light.