Vacuum oscillations of solar neutrinos: correlation between spectrum distortion and seasonal variations

Abstract

Long length vacuum oscillations solution of the solar neutrino problem is discussed. We show that there is a strict correlation between a distortion of the neutrino energy spectrum and an amplitude of seasonal variations of the neutrino flux. The slope parameter which characterizes a distortion of the recoil electron energy spectrum in the Super-Kamiokande experiment and the seasonal asymmetry of the signal have been calculated in a wide range of oscillation parameters. The correlation of the slope and asymmetry gives crucial criteria for identification or exclusion of this solution. For the positive slope indicated by preliminary Super-Kamiokande data we predict (40 - 60) % enhancement of the seasonal variations.

Comments: 11 pages, 4 eps figures, LaTeX, analytical study and some explanations added, updated experimental results used