Solar neutrinos and the solar composition problem

TL;DR

This paper examines the solar composition problem by updating solar neutrino flux predictions for models with different metallicities, highlighting uncertainties and proposing methods to resolve the discrepancy between models and helioseismology.

Contribution

It provides updated neutrino fluxes for high and low metallicity solar models and introduces an independent method to determine the correct model.

Findings

Uncertainties in iron and carbon abundances dominate flux uncertainties.

The ^14N+p -> ^15O+g rate significantly affects CNO neutrino flux predictions.

Current neutrino data cannot distinguish models, but future measurements may resolve the puzzle.

Abstract

Standard solar models (SSM) are facing nowadays a new puzzle: the solar composition problem. New determinations of solar metal abundances lead SSM calculations to conflict with helioseismological measurements, showing discrepancies that extend from the convection zone to the solar core and can not be easily assigned to deficiencies in the modelling of the solar convection zone. We present updated solar neutrino fluxes and uncertainties for two SSM with high (old) and low (new) solar metallicity determinations. The uncertainties in iron and carbon abundances are the largest contribution to the uncertainties of the solar neutrino fluxes. The uncertainty on the ^14N+p -> ^15O+g rate is the largest of the non-composition uncertainties to the CNO neutrino fluxes. We propose an independent method to help identify which SSM is the correct one. Present neutrino data can not distinguish the solar neutrino predictions of both models but ongoing measurements can help to solve the puzzle.