2021/01/08 by F.L. Villante, Aldo Serenelli, Villante, Francesco L. +1 · 3 citations
Energy · Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #FOS: Physical sciences #Global Energy and Sustainability Research #Neutrino Physics Research #Nuclear Experiment (nucl-ex) #Nuclear Theory (nucl-th) #Solar and Stellar Astrophysics (astro-ph.SR)
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2101.03077
openalex publication_date 2021/01/08 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
The fundamental processes by which nuclear energy is generated in the Sun\nhave been known for many years. However, continuous progress in areas such as\nneutrino experiments, stellar spectroscopy and helioseismic data and techniques\nrequires ever more accurate and precise determination of nuclear reaction cross\nsections, a fundamental physical input for solar models. In this work, we\nreview the current status of (standard) solar models and present a detailed\ndiscussion on the relevance of nuclear reactions for detailed predictions of\nsolar properties. In addition, we also provide an analytical model that helps\nunderstanding the relation between nuclear cross sections, neutrino fluxes and\nthe possibility they offer for determining physical characteristics of the\nsolar interior. The latter is of particular relevance in the context of the\nconundrum posed by the solar composition, the solar abundance problem, and in\nthe light of the first ever direct detection of solar CN neutrinos recently\nobtained by the Borexino collaboration. Finally, we present a short list of\nwishes about the precision with which nuclear reaction rates should be\ndetermined to allow for further progress in our understanding of the Sun.\n