Physics potentials of pp and pep solar neutrino fluxes

Abstract

Experimental determinations of the pp and pep fluxes have great potentialities. We briefly review the reasons that make such measurements privileged tests of neutrino properties. We discuss the predictions for these fluxes given by four good solutions to the solar neutrino problem: small- and large-angle MSW and Just-So oscillations into active neutrinos, and small-angle MSW oscillations into sterile neutrinos. In addition, we examine the impact of the planned Hellaz detector, which should measure separately the νe and νμ fluxes in the pp energy window and the signal from the pep neutrinos, for distinguishing among the different solutions and for determining the solar central temperature.