CSEDI Collaborative Research: Neutrino Geophysics: collaboration between geology and particle physics

地球内部辐射出大约46太瓦（太瓦，1012焦耳-1）的热量（今天核能的总发电量约为1太瓦的能量）。地球的热能来自地球的冷却，少量来自潮汐摩擦和内核的增长，主要来自放射性元素的衰变。这些热源的确切比例贡献是未知的。板块构造是当今地球内部热传递的主要表现形式。巨大的构造板块产生于大洋中脊，穿过地球表面到达深海海沟，在那里它们扎入地球内部，将冷板块送入地球内部，使地球降温。为了更好地理解固体地球内部和地球表面发生的动态过程，我们必须建立一个全面的地球组成和结构模型，该模型与地质学、地球化学、地球物理学和粒子物理学等领域的观测结果在内部是一致的。自然产生的放射性元素的丰度和分布对于理解地球动力学是不可或缺的，因为放射性成因热提供了驱动地幔对流、板块构造和整个地球演化的关键能量来源。拟议研究的主要目标是：(1)了解地球上天然存在的放射性元素的性质和三维分布，特别是钾、钍和铀，它们产生了地球上99%的放射性成因热；(2)建立一个内部一致的地球模型，包括地球的热结构和演化；(3)建立地球模型，可以根据新开发的反中微子探测器的数据进行测试。（反中微子是放射性元素衰变过程中产生的中性核粒子。）拟议的工作计划涉及动态建模，以确定地球主要储层，即大陆地壳、地幔和金属核的几何形状、分布和化学成分。模型结果将结合反中微子数据进行解释，以建立一个全面的、三维的地球组成和结构模型。

The Earth's interior radiates approximately 46 terawatts (TW, 1012 J s-1) of heat (total combined production of nuclear power today is about 1 TW of energy). The Earth's thermal energy comes from the cooling of the planet, minor contributions from tidal friction and inner core growth, and significantly from the decay of radioactive elements. The exact proportional contribution of these heat supplies is unknown. Plate tectonics is the primary manifestation of heat transport within the Earth today. Large tectonic plates are produced at mid-ocean ridges and transported across the surface of the globe to deep ocean trenches, where they plunge into the Earth's interior sending cold slabs into the interior and cooling the planet. In order to better understand the dynamic processes that occur both within the solid Earth as well as on the planet's surface, we must develop a comprehensive model of Earth composition and structure that is internally consistent with observations from the fields of geology, geochemistry, geophysics and particle physics. The abundance and distribution of naturally-occurring radioactive elements is integral to the understanding of Earth dynamics, as radiogenic heat provides a key source of energy that serves to drive mantle convection, plate tectonics and the evolution of the entire planet. The primary objectives of the proposed research are to: (1) understand the nature and three-dimensional distribution of naturally-occurring radioactive elements in the Earth, particularly potassium, thorium and uranium, which produce 99% of all radiogenic heat in the Earth; (2) develop an internally consistent model of the Earth, including the thermal constitution and evolution of the planet; and, (3) build Earth models that can be tested against data from newly developed antineutrino detectors. (Antineutrinos are neutral nuclear particles produce during beta-decay of radioactive elements.) The proposed work plan involves dynamic modeling to determine the geometry, distribution and chemical composition of the Earth's major reservoirs, namely the continental crust, mantle and metallic core. Model results will be interpreted in conjunction with antineutrino data in order to develop a comprehensive, three-dimensional model of Earth composition and structure.