<p>Resurrection alert.</p>

<p>I was Googling the subject and found <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1140/epjc/s10052-019-6597-7" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this paper</a> refuting an earlier paper claiming to have observed a neutrino-based effect on beta decay in radon.</p>

<p>Edit: another study <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969804317303822" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a> finding there to be no correlation.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-11T10:40:45.220Z
Thanks. I guess we have to admire the obstinate persistence of Sturrock, Fischbach, et al. ;) See the Physics.SE links I just posted in a comment on the question.
PM 2Ring
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-11T10:19:59.477Z
2020-06-11T10:19:59.477Z
Neil Moss
<p>In the paper that this report is based on, <em><a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0927650510001234" rel="nofollow">1</a></em>,  they simply see an annual period in the $\beta$ decay rates of radioactive isotope samples in the lab.  Basically, the rate is a fraction of a percent higher in winter than in summer. They conclude that absent any simple instrumentation explanation:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>we conclude that these results are consistent with the hypothesis that
  nuclear decay rates may be influenced by some form of solar radiation.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>Several things can be changing in a laboratory during a year.  Obviously, temperature and humidity changes and these were tested in the experiment.  But, also radon levels change as the amount of outside air exchanged with inside air is changed.  The solar cosmic ray flux (high energy electrons, protons, and He nuclei generated in the chromosphere of the sun) changes as the Sun angle changes, and neutrinos (produced in the core) also as Sun angle changes.  These could be affecting nuclei decay rates directly or the instrument used to measure these (subtle changes in threshold energies, false counts from ions produced in the instrument, potential shifts, etc.).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-21T16:55:40.077Z
Agreed. Lots of variables in energy detection or isolation. This view of corona plasma is interesting to consider.[link](http://ice-age-ahead-iaa.ca/scrp1/pcfh000.htm)
Cymatical
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-21T17:27:53.747Z
This helps via Wikipedia -  "three neutrino masses must be less than one millionth that of the electron."
Cymatical
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-21T17:38:54.773Z
[Fermi's predictions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enrico_Fermi) that cosmic rays arose through material being accelerated by magnetic fields in interstellar space, is the electric universe theory.
Cymatical
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-18T20:56:04.550Z
2015-05-19T16:38:13.963Z
2015-05-19T16:38:13.963Z
eshaya
<p>I read a <a href="http://phys.org/news202456660.html">science report</a> recently that mentioned an accidental discovery where radioactive decay rates shifted slightly slower in advance ( about a day and a half) of solar storms or in sync with sun's 33-day pattern/rotation of the sun's core. Seems that neutrinos emitted from within the sun or at surface of the sun arrive in advance of other wave/particle radiations AND effect earthly atomic natures.</p>

<p>Aside from predicting solar flares/storms, does this imply decaying atoms/elements absorb or block neutrino emissions to any substantial degree that might of use in other areas of science? </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-29T15:22:01.127Z
Reports similar to this one go back a number of years: http://news.stanford.edu/news/2010/august/sun-082310.html http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/2008/oct/02/the-mystery-of-the-varying-nuclear-decay Two Decades: http://www.iaea.org/inis/collection/NCLCollectionStore/_Public/27/040/27040836.pdf
Wayfaring Stranger
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-05-20T19:57:33.380Z
This might be better asked on the Physics SE, since this is more a question about neutrinos and the weak force in general.
zibadawa timmy
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-18T18:38:25.503Z
Neutrinos aren't affected by solar storms - even a little bit.   They're created in Nuclear reactions and then they fly off in their merry way, passing through almost anything they come across.   It's a good question to ask if Neutrinos can affect radioactive decay, but there's no tie-in to solar storms.
userLTK
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-21T16:22:50.763Z
Just that Ve Vu Vt precede other particles. How can we use the counts if earth based atomic clocks (decay rates) shift?
Cymatical
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-01-17T20:09:53.443Z
Somebody should repeat the experiment in a controlled underground environment.
Keith Thompson
CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-06-11T10:36:21.337Z
Related posts on Physics.SE: https://physics.stackexchange.com/q/490550/123208 & https://physics.stackexchange.com/a/75077/123208
PM 2Ring
<neutrinos>
How Are Radioactive Decay Rates Influenced by Neutrinos - On Earth and Other Dense Planets
Cymatical
# How Are Radioactive Decay Rates Influenced by Neutrinos - On Earth and Other Dense Planets

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-01-29)

I read a [science report](http://phys.org/news202456660.html) recently that mentioned an accidental discovery where radioactive decay rates shifted slightly slower in advance ( about a day and a half) of solar storms or in sync with sun's 33-day pattern/rotation of the sun's core. Seems that neutrinos emitted from within the sun or at surface of the sun arrive in advance of other wave/particle radiations AND effect earthly atomic natures.

Aside from predicting solar flares/storms, does this imply decaying atoms/elements absorb or block neutrino emissions to any substantial degree that might of use in other areas of science?

**Tags:** neutrinos

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Reports similar to this one go back a number of years: http://news.stanford.edu/news/2010/august/sun-082310.html http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/2008/oct/02/the-mystery-of-the-varying-nuclear-decay Two Decades: http://www.iaea.org/inis/collection/NCLCollectionStore/_Public/27/040/27040836.pdf  
> **username_2**: This might be better asked on the Physics SE, since this is more a question about neutrinos and the weak force in general.  
> **username_3**: Neutrinos aren't affected by solar storms - even a little bit.   They're created in Nuclear reactions and then they fly off in their merry way, passing through almost anything they come across.   It's a good question to ask if Neutrinos can affect radioactive decay, but there's no tie-in to solar storms.  
> **username_0**: Just that Ve Vu Vt precede other particles. How can we use the counts if earth based atomic clocks (decay rates) shift?  
> **username_4**: Somebody should repeat the experiment in a controlled underground environment.  
> **username_5**: Related posts on Physics.SE: https://physics.stackexchange.com/q/490550/123208 & https://physics.stackexchange.com/a/75077/123208  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_6 on 2020-06-11. Score: 4

Resurrection alert.

I was Googling the subject and found [this paper](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1140/epjc/s10052-019-6597-7) refuting an earlier paper claiming to have observed a neutrino-based effect on beta decay in radon.

Edit: another study [here](https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0969804317303822) finding there to be no correlation.

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: Thanks. I guess we have to admire the obstinate persistence of Sturrock, Fischbach, et al. ;) See the Physics.SE links I just posted in a comment on the question.  

---

### Answer by username_7 on 2015-05-18. Score: 1

In the paper that this report is based on, *[1](http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0927650510001234)*, they simply see an annual period in the $\beta$ decay rates of radioactive isotope samples in the lab. Basically, the rate is a fraction of a percent higher in winter than in summer. They conclude that absent any simple instrumentation explanation:

> we conclude that these results are consistent with the hypothesis that
> nuclear decay rates may be influenced by some form of solar radiation.

Several things can be changing in a laboratory during a year. Obviously, temperature and humidity changes and these were tested in the experiment. But, also radon levels change as the amount of outside air exchanged with inside air is changed. The solar cosmic ray flux (high energy electrons, protons, and He nuclei generated in the chromosphere of the sun) changes as the Sun angle changes, and neutrinos (produced in the core) also as Sun angle changes. These could be affecting nuclei decay rates directly or the instrument used to measure these (subtle changes in threshold energies, false counts from ions produced in the instrument, potential shifts, etc.).

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Agreed. Lots of variables in energy detection or isolation. This view of corona plasma is interesting to consider.[link](http://ice-age-ahead-iaa.ca/scrp1/pcfh000.htm)  
> **username_0**: This helps via Wikipedia -  "three neutrino masses must be less than one millionth that of the electron."  
> **username_0**: [Fermi's predictions](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enrico_Fermi) that cosmic rays arose through material being accelerated by magnetic fields in interstellar space, is the electric universe theory.  

---

