AWhat changed
KamLAND analyzed low-energy antineutrino candidates to investigate uranium- and thorium-chain radioactivity inside Earth. With an assumed thorium-to-uranium mass ratio of 3.9, its spectral fit gave a 90% confidence interval of 4.5–54.2 geoneutrino events and an Earth-model-dependent upper limit on uranium- and thorium-decay heat.
Scientific scope
KamLAND analyzed low-energy antineutrino candidates to investigate uranium- and thorium-chain radioactivity inside Earth. With an assumed thorium-to-uranium mass ratio of 3.9, its spectral fit gave a 90% confidence interval of 4.5–54.2 geoneutrino events and an Earth-model-dependent upper limit on uranium- and thorium-decay heat. The 152 candidates include substantial reactor and detector backgrounds; individual events were not uniquely tagged as geological. The quoted 60 TW radiogenic-power bound is at 99% confidence under the paper’s reference Earth model, while the event interval is at 90%; potassium-40 antineutrinos lie below the detector threshold. The early constraint is not a measurement of all terrestrial heat or a direct three-dimensional map.
Evidence
The linked original works support the scoped statement and contribution attribution. WRS has not independently replayed experiments or reconstructed a full mathematical proof. The 152 candidates include substantial reactor and detector backgrounds; individual events were not uniquely tagged as geological. The quoted 60 TW radiogenic-power bound is at 99% confidence under the paper’s reference Earth model, while the event interval is at 90%; potassium-40 antineutrinos lie below the detector threshold. The early constraint is not a measurement of all terrestrial heat or a direct three-dimensional map.
Contributors
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Provisional WRS assessment, edition 2026-10-28.1. Independent expert calibration is pending. This grade does not certify correctness or assign ownership.
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