TESTS OF ELECTRON FLAVOR CONSERVATION WITH THE SUDBURY NEUTRINO OBSERVATORY

We analyze tests of electron flavor conservation that can be performed at the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory (SNO). These tests, which utilize B-8 solar neutrinos interacting with deuterium, measure (1) the shape of the recoil electron spectrum in charged-current (CC) interactions (the CC spectrum shape), and (2) the ratio of the number of charged-cu rrent to neutral current (NC) events (the CC/NC ratio). We determine s tandard model predictions for the CC spectral shape and for the CC/NC ratio, together with realistic estimates of their errors and the corre lations between errors. We consider systematic uncertainties in the st andard neutrino spectrum and in the charged-current and neutral curren t cross sections, the SNO energy resolution and absolute energy scale, and the SNO detection efficiencies. Assuming that either matter-enhan ced or vacuum neutrino oscillations solve the solar neutrino problems, we calculate the confidence levels with which electron flavor noncons ervation can be detected using either the CC spectrum shape or the CC/ NC ratio, or both. If the SNO detector works as expected, the neutrino oscillation solutions that best fit the results of the four operating solar neutrino experiments can be distinguished unambiguously from th e standard predictions of electron flavor conservation.