Exploring the hidden interior of the Earth with directional neutrino measurements

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel method using directional neutrino measurements to explore Earth's interior, aiming to resolve contributions from potassium, mantle, and core radiogenic heating, beyond previous inverse beta decay techniques.

Contribution

The paper presents a new approach employing neutrino-electron elastic scattering with direction-sensitive detectors to measure Earth's geo-neutrino sources more comprehensively.

Findings

Calculates exposure requirements for detecting different geo-neutrino sources.

Proposes a method to measure potassium's contribution to Earth's heat.

Charts a new path for interior Earth exploration using neutrino detection.

Abstract

Roughly 40% of the Earth's total heat flow is powered by radioactive decays in the crust and mantle. Geo-neutrinos produced by these decays provide important clues about the origin, formation and thermal evolution of our planet, as well as the composition of its interior. Previous measurements of geo-neutrinos have all relied on the detection of inverse beta decay reactions, which are insensitive to the contribution from potassium and do not provide model-independent information about the spatial distribution of geo-neutrino sources within the Earth. Here we present a method for measuring previously unresolved components of Earth's radiogenic heating using neutrino-electron elastic scattering and low-background, direction-sensitive tracking detectors. We calculate the exposures needed to probe various contributions to the total geo-neutrino flux, specifically those associated to potassium, the mantle and the core. The measurements proposed here chart a course for pioneering exploration of the veiled inner workings of the Earth.