Neutrino magnetic moment, plasmon Čerenkov radiation, and the solar-neutrino problem

Abstract

Clark and Pedigo suggested that, if the neutrino has a magnetic moment, the energy loss of a solar neutrino in escaping the sun, due to magnetic elastic scattering off electrons, could help explain the absence of detection of solar neutrinos at earth. Collective effects of the solar plasma will modify the energy loss calculated by those authors. The existence of the possibility of \ifmmode \check{C}\else \v{C}\fi{}erenkov radiation of longitudinal plasmons suggests that the effect might be large and positive. Detailed calculation shows that it is actually a small effect on the energy loss and not of likely impact on the solar-neutrino problem.