Dye Stephen T, Guillian Eugene H
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2505 Correa Road, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Jan 8;105(1):44-7. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0706541105. Epub 2008 Jan 2.
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 article describes the methods and criteria to experimentally determine average concentrations of uranium and thorium in the continental crust and in the mantle by 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 midcontinental and a midoceanic 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.
地球内部的铀和钍产生了大部分的地热，同时伴随着可测量的电子反中微子通量。这些元素是地球物理和地球化学模型中的关键组成部分。它们的数量和分布驱动着地球动力学，定义了地球的热历史，并且是地球分化的结果。地质储层中铀和钍浓度的知识很大程度上依赖于地球化学模型计算。本文描述了通过对陆地反中微子通量进行特定地点测量来实验确定大陆地壳和地幔中铀和钍平均浓度的方法和标准。最佳的、与模型无关的测定需要在大陆中部和大洋中部的地点，将反中微子探测器置于远离核反应堆的地方进行大量曝光。这将需要重大的新反中微子探测项目。此类项目的结果可能会极大地增进我们对地球深部内部的了解。
