Open AccessGeoantineutrino spectrum and slow nuclear burning on the boundary of the liquid and solid phases of the Earth's core
Author(s) -
Rusov V. D.,
Pavlovich V. N.,
Vaschenko V. N.,
Tarasov V. A.,
Zelentsova T. N.,
Bolshakov V. N.,
Litvinov D. A.,
Kosenko S. I.,
Byegunova O. A.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of geophysical research: solid earth
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.67
H-Index - 298
eISSN - 2156-2202
pISSN - 0148-0227
DOI - 10.1029/2005jb004212
Subject(s) - earth (classical element) , nuclear reactor core , neutron , nuclear fission , inner core , fission products , uranium , actinide , fission , nuclear physics , materials science , physics , geophysics , mathematical physics
We give an alternative description of the data produced in the KamLAND experiment. Assuming the existence of a natural nuclear reactor on the boundary of the liquid and solid phases of the Earth's core, a geoantineutrino spectrum is obtained. This assumption is based on the experimental results of V. Anisichkin and his collaborators on the interaction of uranium dioxide and uranium carbide with iron‐nickel and silica‐alumina melts at high pressure (5–10 GPa) and temperature (1600–2200°C), which led to the proposal of the existence of an actinide shell in the Earth's core. We describe the operating mechanism of this reactor as solitary waves of nuclear burning in 238 U and/or 232 Th medium, in particular, as neutron fission progressive waves of Feoktistov and/or Teller et al. type. Next, we propose a simplified model for the accumulation and burn‐up kinetics in Feoktistov's U‐Pu fuel cycle. We also apply this model for numerical simulations of neutron fission wave in a two‐phase UO 2 /Fe medium on the surface of the Earth's solid core. The proposed georeactor model offers a mechanism for the generation of 3 He. The 3 He/ 4 He distribution in the Earth's interior is calculated, which in turn can be used as a natural quantitative criterion of the georeactor thermal power. Finally, we give a tentative estimation of the geoantineutrino intensity and spectrum on the Earth's surface. For this purpose we use the O'Nions et al. geochemical model of mantle differentiation and crust growth complemented by a nuclear energy source (georeactor with power of 30 TW).