arXiv · 2603.01678
Flux Estimates and Detection Prospects for Lunar Geoneutrinos
Abstract
The distribution of heat-producing elements (U, Th, K) within the Moon is critical for understanding its thermal evolution and formation history. Based on a refined lunar interior model, we calculate the geoneutrino fluxes at two representative detector locations that bracket the expected signal intensity. The maximum flux is found to be slightly lower than the corresponding predicted fluxes for the KamLAND site on Earth, while the minimum flux is approximately a factor of 8.63 lower than this maximum value. The angular distributions of geoneutrinos arriving at the two locations were further computed. Finally, we evaluate the detection prospects for lunar geoneutrinos using three reaction channels: inverse beta decay reaction, elastic scattering on electrons, and a novel radiochemical approach based on $\bar{\nu}_e + ^3$He $\to e^+ + ^3$H. For each reaction, we calculate the expected event rates and briefly discuss the potential for measuring the total geoneutrino flux, as well as the relative contributions from U, Th, and K.
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Hang Hu, Yaping Cheng, Wan-Lei Guo. 2026-03-02. Flux Estimates and Detection Prospects for Lunar Geoneutrinos. https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.01678
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