Estimating terrestrial uranium and thorium by antineutrino flux measurements
arXiv:0801.2366 · doi:10.1073/pnas.0706541105
Abstract
Uranium and thorium within the Earth produce a major portion of terrestrial heat along with a measurable flux of electron antineutrinos. These elements are key components in geophysical and geochemical models. Their quantity and distribution drive the dynamics, define the thermal history, and are a consequence of the differentiation of the Earth. Knowledge of uranium and thorium concentrations in geological reservoirs relies largely on geochemical model calculations. This research report describes the methods and criteria to experimentally determine average concentrations of uranium and thorium in the continental crust and in the mantle using site-specific measurements of the terrestrial antineutrino flux. Optimal, model-independent determinations involve significant exposures of antineutrino detectors remote from nuclear reactors at both a mid-continental and a mid-oceanic site. This would require major, new antineutrino detection projects. The results of such projects could yield a greatly improved understanding of the deep interior of the Earth.
arXiv comment15 pages, 2 figures
References in corpus (9)
- Measurement of Neutrino Oscillation with KamLAND: Evidence of Spectral Distortion
- Antineutrinos from Earth: A reference model and its uncertainties
- Antineutrino Geophysics with Liquid Scintillator Detectors
- Determination of neutrino incoming direction in the CHOOZ experiment and Supernova explosion location by scintillator detectors
- Earth Radioactivity Measurements with a Deep Ocean Anti-neutrino Observatory
- Probing the Earth's interior with the LENA detector
- Geoneutrinos in Borexino
- A geoneutrino experiment at Homestake
- Far Field Monitoring of Rogue Nuclear Activity with an Array of Large anti-neutrino Detectors