Helioseismic models and the solar neutrino fluxes

Abstract

An inversion of the accurately measured frequencies of solar oscillations leads to a determination of the profiles of sound speed and density through most of the solar interior. This seismically inferred structure can be used to obtain the temperature and chemical abundance profiles inside the Sun and also to calculate expected neutrino fluxes. Even allowing for arbitrary variations in the input opacities and relaxing the requirement of thermal equilibrium, but assuming standard neutrino properties, it turns out to be difficult to construct a seismic model that is simultaneously consistent with any two of the three existing solar neutrino experiments. This conclusion is in agreement with similar results derived from general considerations, independently of any solar model. It therefore seems that non-standard neutrino physics is very likely to be responsible for low observed fluxes of solar neutrinos.