⁶Li-loaded directionally sensitive anti-neutrino detector for possible geo-neutrinographic imaging applications.

H K M Tanaka,H Watanabe

doi:10.1038/srep04708

Abstract

Despite the latent and unique benefits of imaging uranium and thorium's distribution in the earth's interior, previously proposed experimental techniques used to identify the incoming geo-neutrino's direction are not applicable to practical imaging due to the high miss-identification in a neutrino's track reconstruction. After performing experimental studies and Monte-Carlo simulations, we confirmed that a significant improvement is possible in neutrino tracking identification with a 6Li-loaded neutrino detector. For possible imaging applications, we also explore the feasibility of producing geo-neutrinographic images of gigantic magmatic reservoirs and deep structure in the mantle. We anticipate and plan to apply these newly designed detectors to radiographic imaging of the Earth's interior, monitoring of nuclear reactors, and tracking astrophysical sources of neutrinos.

Highlights

Despite the latent and unique benefits of imaging uranium and thorium’s distribution in the earth’s interior, previously proposed experimental techniques used to identify the incoming geo-neutrino’s direction are not applicable to practical imaging due to the high miss-identification in a neutrino’s track reconstruction
We explore the feasibility of producing geo-neutrinographic images of gigantic magmatic reservoirs and deep structure in the mantle
To test the resolving power of our 6Li loaded liquid scintillation (LS) detector, we investigated the radiographic appearance of a hypothetical magma chamber

Summary

Introduction

Despite the latent and unique benefits of imaging uranium and thorium’s distribution in the earth’s interior, previously proposed experimental techniques used to identify the incoming geo-neutrino’s direction are not applicable to practical imaging due to the high miss-identification in a neutrino’s track reconstruction. The directional sensitivities in anti-neutrino measurements has been theoretically and experimentally studied in the Goesgen[11] (Boehm, 2000), CHOOZ12 and Double CHOOZ13 (Caden 2012) experiments so far These reactor experiments attempted to conduct directional (reactor) neutrino measurements in conjunction with nearby reactor experiments by utilizing the fact that the net momentum transmitted to the neutron and positron by the incoming neutrino statistically biases the positron annihilation and the neutron capture locations[12]. Th concentrations in comparison to the continental crust, begin melting once reaching a depths of about 80–200 km[15] At these levels (100–200 km), hydrous partial melting of the ocean crust occurs, resulting in hydrous, alkali-rich silicic magmas that permeate the overlying mantle wedge, fluxing the mantle beneath the volcanic arc. Overall this process leads to the evolved state of the continental crust with enrichments of Th and U, the heat producing elements, towards the surface

Methods

Results

Conclusion