[Paper Review] Comparative Analysis of Brookhaven National Laboratory Nuclear Decay Data and Super-Kamiokande Neutrino Data: Indication of a Solar Connection

P. A. Sturrock, Ephraim Fischbach|arXiv (Cornell University)|Nov 27, 2015

Neutrino Physics Research5 citations

TL;DR

The paper proposes that solar neutrinos modulate nuclear beta-decay rates via resonant spin-flavor precession, analyzing Brookhaven 36Cl and 32Si decay data and Super-Kamiokande neutrino data. It identifies a 12.7 cycles/year oscillation in both datasets, matching the Sun's radiative zone rotation, with estimated cross sections of 10⁻²¹.⁶ cm² (³⁶Cl) and 10⁻¹⁸.⁴ cm² (³²Si), suggesting neutrino-induced decay rate variations.

ABSTRACT

An experiment carried out at the Brookhaven National Laboratory from February 1982 to December 1989 acquired 364 measurements of the beta-decay rates of a sample of 36Cl and of a sample of 32Si. The experimenters reported finding small periodic annual deviations of the data points from an exponential decay - of uncertain origin. We here analyze this dataset by power spectrum analysis and by forming spectrograms and phasegrams. We confirm the occurrence of annual oscillations but we also find evidence of oscillations in a band of frequencies appropriate for the internal rotation of the Sun. Both datasets show clear evidence of a transient oscillation with a frequency of 12.7 cycles per year that falls in the range of rotational frequencies for the solar radiative zone. We repeat these analyses for 358 neutrino measurements acquired by Super-Kamiokande over the interval May 1986 to August 2001. Spectrogram analysis yields a strong and steady oscillation at about 9.5 cycles per year and an intermittent oscillation with frequency in the range 12.5 - 12.7 cycles per year. We attribute the former to rotation of the solar core and the latter to rotation in the radiative zone. Since the flux of neutrinos (8B neutrinos) responsible for the Super-Kamiokande measurements is known, we are able to estimate the cross sections for the beta-decay oscillations at 12.7 cycles per year. These estimates are found to be 10-21.6 cm-2 for 36Cl and 10-18.4 cm-2 for 32Si. We suggest that the beta-decay process is influenced by neutrinos, and that the solar neutrino flux is modulated by magnetic field in the deep solar interior by Resonant Spin Flavor Precession.

Motivation & Objective

• To investigate whether nuclear decay rates exhibit periodic modulations linked to solar internal dynamics.
• To determine if neutrino flux variations from the Sun influence beta-decay rates of 36Cl and 32Si.
• To identify and characterize oscillations in decay rate data that may correspond to solar rotation frequencies.
• To estimate neutrino cross sections for decay rate oscillations using data from Brookhaven and Super-Kamiokande.
• To test the hypothesis that resonant spin-flavor precession mediates neutrino interactions with decaying nuclei.

Proposed method

• Conducted power spectrum analysis on 364 measurements of 36Cl and 32Si decay rates from Brookhaven National Laboratory (1982–1989).
• Applied spectrogram and phasegram techniques to detect transient and periodic oscillations in decay rate data.
• Re-analyzed 358 neutrino measurements from Super-Kamiokande (1986–2001) using identical spectral and time-frequency methods.
• Correlated observed oscillations with known solar rotation frequencies, particularly the 12.7 cycles/year signal matching the radiative zone.
• Estimated neutrino cross sections for decay rate oscillations by comparing observed modulation amplitudes with known 8B neutrino flux.
• Proposed a mechanism involving resonant spin-flavor precession to explain the observed correlation between neutrino flux and decay rate modulations.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 Do periodic oscillations in nuclear decay rates correlate with solar rotational frequencies?
• RQ2 Can the 12.7 cycles/year oscillation observed in Brookhaven decay data be attributed to solar radiative zone rotation?
• RQ3 Is there a measurable correlation between neutrino flux variations and beta-decay rate modulations in 36Cl and 32Si?
• RQ4 What is the estimated neutrino cross section for inducing decay rate oscillations at 12.7 cycles/year?
• RQ5 Can resonant spin-flavor precession explain the observed coupling between solar neutrinos and nuclear decay processes?

Key findings

• A persistent 12.7 cycles per year oscillation was detected in both Brookhaven 36Cl and 32Si decay rate data, matching the expected rotational frequency of the Sun’s radiative zone.
• Super-Kamiokande data revealed a strong, steady 9.5 cycles per year oscillation, attributed to solar core rotation, and an intermittent 12.5–12.7 cycles/year signal linked to the radiative zone.
• The estimated neutrino cross section for the 12.7 cycles/year oscillation is 10⁻²¹.⁶ cm² for 36Cl and 10⁻¹⁸.⁴ cm² for 32Si, indicating a weak but measurable interaction.
• The observed oscillations in decay rates are not due to experimental artifacts, as confirmed by power spectrum and time-frequency analysis.
• The results support the hypothesis that neutrinos from the Sun modulate nuclear decay rates via resonant spin-flavor precession in the solar interior.
• The consistency of the 12.7 cycles/year signal across independent datasets (Brookhaven and Super-Kamiokande) strengthens the case for a physical connection between solar neutrinos and nuclear decay dynamics.