Eur. Phys. J. A (2016) 52: 84
https://doi.org/10.1140/epja/i2016-16084-3

Review

Data analysis for solar neutrinos observed by water Cherenkov detectors^⋆

Okayama University, 3-1-1 Tsushima-naka, Okayama, Japan

^* e-mail: koshio@okayama-u.ac.jp

Received: 13 July 2015
Accepted: 14 July 2015
Published online: 18 April 2016

Abstract

A method of analyzing solar neutrino measurements using water-based Cherenkov detectors is presented. The basic detection principle is that the Cherenkov photons produced by charged particles via neutrino interaction are observed by photomultiplier tubes. A large amount of light or heavy water is used as a medium. The first detector to successfully measure solar neutrinos was Kamiokande in the 1980’s. The next-generation detectors, i.e., Super-Kamiokande and the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO), commenced operation from the mid-1990’s. These detectors have been playing the critical role of solving the solar neutrino problem and determining the neutrino oscillation parameters over the last decades. The future prospects of solar neutrino analysis using this technique are also described.