Detection of geoneutrinos: Can we make the gnus work for us?

Abstract

The detection of electron anti-neutrinos from natural radioactivity in the earth has been a goal of neutrino researchers for about half a century. It was accomplished by the KamLAND Collaboration in 2005, and opens the way towards studies of the Earth's radioactive content, with very important implications for geology. New detectors are operating (KamLAND and Borexino), building (SNO+) and being proposed (Hanohano, LENA, Earth and others) that will go beyond the initial observation and allow interesting geophysical and geochemical research, in a means not otherwise possible. Herein we describe the approaches being taken (large liquid scintillation instruments), the experimental and technical challenges (optical detectors, directionality), and prospects for growth of this field. There is related spinoff in particle physics (neutrino oscillations and hierarchy determination), astrophysics (solar neutrinos, supernovae, exotica), and in the practical matter of remote monitoring of nuclear reactors.