Geoneutrinos and geoscience: an intriguing joint-venture

TL;DR

This review explores how geoneutrino measurements inform Earth's internal composition and heat budget, highlighting experimental advances, current models, and future technological challenges in geoneutrino research.

Contribution

It synthesizes experimental data and theoretical models to enhance understanding of Earth's deep radioactivity and discusses future directions in geoneutrino detection technology.

Findings

Mantle geoneutrino signals help investigate deep Earth radioactivity.

Results support or challenge existing Bulk Silicate Earth models.

Technological challenges for future geoneutrino experiments are identified.

Abstract

The review is conceived to help the reader to interpret present geoneutrino results in the framework of Earth's energetics and composition. Starting from the comprehension of antineutrino production, propagation, and detection, the status of the geoneutrino field is presented through the description of the experimental and technological features of the Borexino and KamLAND ongoing experiments. The current understanding of the energetical, geophysical and geochemical traits of our planet is examined in a critical analysis of the currently available models. By combining theoretical models and experimental results, the mantle geoneutrino signal extracted from the results of the two experiments demonstrates the effectiveness in investigating deep earth radioactivity through geoneutrinos from different sites. The obtained results are discussed and framed in the puzzle of the diverse classes of formulated Bulk Silicate Earth models, analyzing their implications on planetary heat budget and composition. As a final remark, we present the engaging technological challenges and the future experiments envisaged for the next decade in the geoneutrino field.