On a possibility to determine the S-factor of the hep process in experiments with thermal (cold) neutrons

Abstract

The problem of the magnitude of the S--factor of the hep process $p+{}^3\mathrm{He}\to {}^4\mathrm{He}+e^{+}+{\nu }_e$ is one of the most important unsolved problems in nuclear astrophysics. The magnitude of $S(hep)$ has also an important impact on the interpretation of the Super-Kamiokande solar neutrino results in terms of neutrino oscillations. We point out the possiblity to determine the major hadronic contribution to $S(hep)$ from the measurement of the total cross section of the process $n+{}^3\mathrm{H}\to {}^4\mathrm{He}+e^{-}+{\bar{\nu }}_e$ in experiments with high intensity beams of thermal or cold neutrons.

Comments: 7 pages, revtex, no figures; note added; final version to be published in Astropart. Phys