Measurement of the solar neutrino capture rate with gallium metal

J. N. Abdurashitov, Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences
V. N. Gavrin, Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences
S. V. Girin, Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences
V. V. Gorbachev, Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences
T. V. Ibragimova, Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences
A. V. Kalikhov, Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences
N. G. Khairnasov, Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences
T. V. Knodel, Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences
I. N. Mirmov, Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences
A. A. Shikhin, Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences
E. P. Veretenkin, Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences
V. M. Vermul, Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences
V. E. Yants, Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences
G. T. Zatsepin, Institute for Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences
T. J. Bowles, Los Alamos National Laboratory
W. A. Teasdale, Los Alamos National Laboratory
D. L. Wark, Los Alamos National Laboratory
M. L. Cherry, Louisiana State University
J. S. Nico, National Institute of Standards and Technology
B. T. Cleveland, University of Pennsylvania
R. Davis, University of Pennsylvania
K. Lande, University of Pennsylvania
P. S. Wildenhain, University of Pennsylvania
S. R. Elliott, University of Washington
J. F. Wilkerson, University of Washington

Abstract

The solar neutrino capture rate measured by the Russian-American Gallium Experiment (SAGE) on metallic gallium during the period January 1990 through December 1997 is 67.2+7.2+3.5-7.0-3.0 SNU, where the uncertainties are statistical and systematic, respectively. This represents only about half of the predicted standard solar model rate of 129 SNU. All the experimental procedures, including extraction of germanium from gallium, counting of 71Ge, and data analysis, are discussed in detail.