Molybdenum-technetium solar neutrino experiment

By measuring 98Tc produced through the 98Mo(nu,e-) reaction in a deeply buried molybdenum deposit, they will measure the time-averaged 8B solar-neutrino flux over about 10 Myr. Comparison with the Davis experiment will allow testing of the prediction of periodic mixing of the solar core over long time intervals. The experiment will also explore matter-enhanced neutrino oscillations; it is sensitive in unique portions of the δm2-sin2theta plane. To separate technetium from 5000-ton quantities of Henderson-mine ore, they have taken advantage of the normal commercial mining, milling, and roasting operations of the AMAX Corporation. Technetium should volatilize during the conversion of molybdenite to molybdic oxide. They intercepted the scrub stream of the flue gases with ion-exchange columns to recover the technetium. After further purification, the technetium will be measured mass-spectrometrically by a very sensitive negative-thermal-ionization method. Details and preliminary results are presented