Calculated solar-neutrino capture rate for a radiochemical 205Tl-based solar-neutrino detector

Abstract

Radiochemical experiments for low-energy solar-neutrino detection have been making headlines by exploiting the isotopes 37Cl and 71Ga. Such a very low-threshold measurement of this type can also be performed using 205Tl, which has been considered for decades for this purpose. A unique feature of this detector nucleus is the integration in the solar-neutrino flux over 106 of years owing to its long-living daughter 205Pb. In this Rapid Communication, we have calculated for the first time the cross section for the charged-current solar-neutrino scattering off 205Tl. Taking into account the solar-model-predicted neutrino fluxes and the electron-neutrino survival probabilities, a solar-neutrino capture rate of 62.2 ± 8.6 solar-neutrio units is determined, a value significantly smaller than in previous estimates.