ذرات نوترینو زمین‌ساختاری، نقشه‌ای نو از درون زمین را ترسیم می‌کنند

A global network of detectors are reporting some of the most substantial measurements yet of neutrinos created deep underground by the radioactive elements that power our planet’s tectonic activity.

These elusive particles, known as geoneutrinos, offer a unique window into Earth’s interior, revealing information about the distribution of radioactive elements like uranium, thorium, and potassium. Scientists believe these elements are largely responsible for the planet’s heat, which drives plate tectonics, volcanic activity, and the formation of mountains.

For decades, detecting geoneutrinos has been a major challenge. Neutrinos are notoriously difficult to detect because they interact so weakly with matter. To overcome this, researchers have built massive detectors deep underground, shielded from other sources of radiation.

The latest results, published in a series of papers, come from the Borexino experiment in Italy, as well as detectors in Japan and the United States. These experiments have been able to detect geoneutrinos from different regions of the Earth, providing a more complete picture of the planet’s internal heat distribution.

“We are starting to get a really good handle on the amount of heat produced by the Earth,” says Joshua Hurwitz, a geophysicist at the University of Arizona who is not involved in the research. “This is important for understanding how the Earth works and how it has evolved over time.”

One of the key findings is that the amount of heat produced by the Earth is consistent with estimates based on other methods, such as seismic waves and the study of volcanic eruptions. This provides strong support for the idea that radioactive decay is the primary source of Earth’s heat.

However, the distribution of heat is not uniform. The researchers found that the mantle, the layer between the Earth’s crust and core, contains a higher concentration of radioactive elements than previously thought. This suggests that the mantle may be more dynamic and complex than we previously understood.

“The mantle is not just a passive layer,” says Andrea Pocar, a physicist at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a lead researcher on the Borexino experiment. “It is actively involved in the Earth’s heat engine.”

The researchers also found evidence that the Earth’s core may contain a significant amount of radioactive elements. This is surprising, as the core is thought to be largely composed of iron and nickel, which are not particularly radioactive.

“If the core does contain a significant amount of radioactive elements, it could have important implications for the Earth’s magnetic field,” says Pocar. The Earth’s magnetic field is generated by the movement of molten iron in the outer core, and radioactive decay could provide an additional source of energy for this process.

The study of geoneutrinos is still in its early stages, but it has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of the Earth’s interior. As more detectors are built and more data are collected, we can expect to learn even more about the planet’s hidden depths.