Scientists make major breakthrough to find out why the sun is shining

Scientists have detected neutrinos formed during a largely mysterious process in the Sun, in what they hail as a major breakthrough.

The discovery could help reveal the structure of our Sun and the elements at its core. But it could also allow us to better understand other phenomena across the universe, such as supernovae or the interior of distant stars.

The detection was carried out using the Borexino collaboration, a vast experiment in particle physics located in Italy and worked on by researchers around the world. It aims to better understand the processes feeding the Sun, as well as those of other stars.

An expert who was not involved in the research said the new findings “surpass a milestone in neutrino physics.”

“Measurements of these neutrinos have the potential to resolve uncertainties about the composition of the solar nucleus and offer crucial information about heavy star formation,” wrote Gabriel D Orebi Gann of the University of California at Berkeley, in a article accompanying the publication of the research in Nature.

“The tremendous accomplishment of the Borexino collaboration brings us closer to a full understanding of our Sun and massive star formation, and is likely to set the goal in this area for years to come.

The stars glow from the nuclear fusion of hydrogen into helium. This can happen in two ways: what’s called the proton-proton or pp chain, which only involves hydrogen and helium, or the carbon-nitrogen-oxygen or CNO cycle, where fusion is catalyzed. by carbon, nitrogen and oxygen.

In our own Sun and in other stars of similar size, the pp chain makes up about 99% of the energy. Researchers have studied it extensively since the early 1970s, and the Borexino experience has contributed to a comprehensive understanding of the processes that govern it.

But the CNO cycle – which represents a tiny but significant minority of energy production – has proven to be almost entirely elusive. The small number of neutrinos that originate from this mechanism means that they are difficult to separate from background signals.

However, the researchers claim to have detected neutrinos from this process. Because the Borexino detector is sensitive and highly tuned to be able to block background noise – following recent breakthroughs that allow the detector to prevent contamination of the detector – it has been able to specifically capture these neutrinos, which until now it has remained a mystery.

This is the very first time that researchers have been able to capture these neutrinos – or direct evidence of the CNO cycle in any form. This is the first time that humanity has seen evidence of the mechanism that converts hydrogen to helium throughout the universe.

It also confirms the theories on this cycle, including the fact that it is only 1% of solar energy.

While this is only a small part of the Sun’s power, the discovery could lead to big breakthroughs in understanding stars, the researchers say. The measurements can be used to understand how much carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen can be found in stars such as our Sun, and how it might be structured.

Additionally, other heavier stars are believed to be much more dependent on the CNO cycle than on our own Sun, where this process is the dominant way of producing energy. The new findings could help show if and to what extent this is true, allowing us to understand how other stars are propelled as well.