Geoneutrinos and geoscience: an intriguing joint-venture
G.Bellini, K.Inoue, F. Mantovani, A. Serafini ,V. Strati, H. Watanabe
La Rivista del Nuovo Cimento Volume 45, issue 1, pages 1–105 (2022)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40766-021-00026-7
Abstract
The review is conceived to provide a useful toolbox to understand present geoneutrino results with a view to shed light on Earth’s energetics and composition. The status of the geoneutrino field is presented starting from the comprehension of their production, propagation, and detection, and going on with the experimental and technological features of the Borexino and KamLAND ongoing experiments. The current understanding of the energetical, geophysical and geochemical traits of our planet is examined in a critical analysis of the currently available models. By combining theoretical models and experimental results, the mantle geoneutrino signal extracted from the results of the two experiments demonstrates the effectiveness in investigating deep earth radioactivity through geoneutrinos from different sites. The obtained results are discussed and framed in the puzzle of the diverse classes of formulated Bulk Silicate Earth models, analyzing their implications on planetary heat budget and composition. As final remarks, we turn our gaze to the prospects in the field of geoneutrinos presenting the expectations of experiments envisaged for the next decade and the engaging technological challenges foreseen.