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From: jhs%Mitre-Bedford@d3unix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.ham-radio
Subject: Re: The Quiet Sun
Message-ID: <11019@brl-tgr.ARPA>
Date: Fri, 24-May-85 14:47:20 EDT
Article-I.D.: brl-tgr.11019
Posted: Fri May 24 14:47:20 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 25-May-85 09:16:05 EDT
Sender: news@brl-tgr.ARPA
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Speaking of reduced Solar activity, whatever happened to the reports I
remember hearing in the eary Seventies that the Sun's thermonuclear reaction
had ceased?

Specifically, in the early Seventies, I read about some experiments that dealt
with measuring neutrino flux from the Sun.  As I recall, neutrino flux had
been predicted theoretically and measured in the Fifties or so.  Then somebody
revised the theory and found that the actual flux should be a factor of two
different from what they had thought earlier.  So some universities set out
to make some new measurements with higher precision, to see if the new theory
was borne out by careful measurements.  The new setup showed:  ZERO neoutrino
flux.  They assumed that the instrumentation was malfunctioning and checked it
all out.  It was NOT malfunctioning.  It still showed ZERO neutrino flux.
According to the theory, if there were a thermonuclear reaction going on in
the Sun, this would generate a measureable neutrino flux.  In the absence of
such a flux, it was concluded that there COULD NOT then be a thermonuclear
reaction in the Sun.  Since earlier measurements HAD shown the predicted
neutrino flux, it was concluded that there HAD BEEN thermonuclear activity in
the Sun in the Fifties, but that in the Seventies it had ceased.  As I recall,
the articles at that time went on to speculate whether it was a permanent
change or just a cycle of periodic activity in the Sun.

Does anybody remember these articles?  Does anybody know how this disturbing
matter was finally interpreted?  Assuming that the Sun's thermonuclear power
source is now defunct, how long would it take for things to get unpleasantly
cool out our way?

NOTE: I believe I can locate a copy of at least one article on this subject
from the early Seventies, if anybody cares.

						73,
						John Sangster, W3IKG