April 1, 2002
The problem of solar neutrinos was "predicted" more than 35 years ago and after many years of intense experimental and theoretical studies, there is still no solution.
A description of the dramatic turns in developments of the field, and the status of surviving solutions after publication of the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO) results, will be presented.
In addition, there will be a discussion of expectations for the next step related to further operations of SNO, and to the new experiments: KAMLAND and BOREXINO.
The resolution of the solar neutrino problem will have fundamental consequences for particle physics, and in particular, for the determination of the neutrino mass spectrum and lepton mixing.
It will also have a strong impact on astrophysics and future perspectives in neutrino physics itself. There is a good chance that the solution will be identified soon, and still, there is some chance that nature has surprises in store.
The University of Texas at Austin