Measurement of Earth's mass - with neutrinos

In summary, researchers have been studying Earth's absorption of neutrinos at very high energies. They have found that the number of neutrinos received from above is greater than those from below, and this difference depends on the mass of Earth. The uncertainty in their results is high, but larger datasets and the use of KM3NeT will help to reduce this uncertainty. The study also confirms that Earth's core has a higher density than its surrounding material, which has been previously measured through seismic measurements. The use of Cherenkov radiation in these experiments sets neutrinos apart from photons and their energies can range from TeV to MeV to less than 1 eV.
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At very high energies Earth absorbs a relevant fraction of neutrinos passing through it. Experiments receive more of these neutrinos from above than from below and the difference depends on the mass of Earth. So why not measure it?

Neutrino tomography of Earth

The uncertainty is very large, of course. While the result is very close to the number from gravitational measurements they have a 25% measurement uncertainty. Larger datasets and KM3NeT will help reducing the uncertainty. While unlikely, Earth might have accumulated something dark matter like - it would appear in gravitational measurements but not necessarily in neutrino absorption data.

Apart from the overall mass they also measure the density in different regions of the interior of Earth and confirm that the core has a higher density than the surrounding material. Again no surprise (seismic measurements have measured this long ago) but a nice confirmation, and with a lot of potential for future improvements.
 
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How fun. :smile:
 
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So they did get it published in Nature. :smile:
Andrea gave a talk at IFT in the beginning of the year where he could not show us certain things because they were waiting for the referee reports from Nature. His explanation was along the lines "I can probably show you in a few weeks when we are rejected by Nature". One of the better seminars I went to the last few years.

I think it is a good and interesting study. I know all three authors (I have papers with two of them).
 
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Wow, that KM3NeT sounds magnificent! Very interesting stuff... I'm curious though so I have a "dumb" question. I saw mention of Cherenkov radiation and wonder if neutrinos should just be "classified" as the next step in photon energy above Gamma radiation?
 
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Neutrinos are completely different particles.
Just like photons they can have different energies. The experiments discussed here look at TeV and higher energies, experiments with neutrinos from accelerators look in the GeV range, neutrinos from nuclear reactors are in the MeV range. PTOLEMY is a proposal to measure neutrinos with less than 1 eV energy.
 
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1. How is the Earth's mass measured with neutrinos?

The Earth's mass can be measured with neutrinos by using a large detector, such as the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, to capture and measure the number of neutrinos passing through the Earth. Neutrinos have a very small mass, but they are constantly passing through the Earth in large numbers. By measuring the rate of neutrinos passing through the Earth, scientists can calculate the Earth's mass.

2. What are neutrinos and why are they useful for measuring the Earth's mass?

Neutrinos are subatomic particles that have very little mass and no electric charge. They are constantly passing through the Earth from various sources, such as the Sun and other stars. Neutrinos are useful for measuring the Earth's mass because they interact very weakly with matter, allowing them to pass through the Earth without being affected. This means that the number of neutrinos passing through the Earth can be accurately measured, providing a reliable method for determining the Earth's mass.

3. How accurate is the measurement of the Earth's mass using neutrinos?

The measurement of the Earth's mass using neutrinos is considered to be very accurate. Scientists have been able to confirm the accuracy of this method by comparing the results with other methods of measuring the Earth's mass, such as using satellites and gravitational measurements. The margin of error for the measurement of the Earth's mass using neutrinos is estimated to be less than 0.05%.

4. Can the measurement of the Earth's mass using neutrinos be affected by external factors?

Yes, external factors such as solar flares and other astronomical events can affect the number of neutrinos passing through the Earth and therefore, the accuracy of the measurement. However, these events are rare and do not significantly impact the overall measurement of the Earth's mass using neutrinos.

5. What other applications can the measurement of the Earth's mass using neutrinos have?

The measurement of the Earth's mass using neutrinos has various other applications, such as studying the interior structure of the Earth and its composition. It can also be used to study other celestial bodies, such as the Sun and other planets. Additionally, this method can help improve our understanding of fundamental physics, as neutrinos are one of the most abundant particles in the universe.

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