doi: 10.1073/pnas.93.2.646.
Substructure of the inner core of the Earth
Affiliations
- PMID: 11607625
- PMCID: PMC40105
- DOI: 10.1073/pnas.93.2.646
Item in Clipboard
Substructure of the inner core of the Earth
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.
.
Abstract
The rationale is disclosed for a substructure within the Earth's inner core, consisting of an actinide subcore at the center of the Earth, surrounded by a subshell composed of the products of nuclear fission and radioactive decay. Estimates are made as to possible densities, physical dimensions, and chemical compositions. The feasibility for self-sustaining nuclear fission within the subcore is demonstrated, and implications bearing on the structure and geodynamic activity of the inner core are discussed.
Similar articles
-
Seismological evidence for mosaic structure of the surface of the Earth's inner core.Nature. 2005 May 26;435(7041):483-7. doi: 10.1038/nature03613. Nature. 2005. PMID: 15917806
-
Possible generation of heat from nuclear fusion in Earth's inner core.Sci Rep. 2016 Nov 23;6:37740. doi: 10.1038/srep37740. Sci Rep. 2016. PMID: 27876860 Free PMC article.
-
Constraints on Earth's inner core composition inferred from measurements of the sound velocity of hcp-iron in extreme conditions.Sci Adv. 2016 Feb 26;2(2):e1500802. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.1500802. eCollection 2016 Feb. Sci Adv. 2016. PMID: 26933678 Free PMC article.
-
On the genesis of the Earth's magnetism.Rep Prog Phys. 2013 Sep;76(9):096801. doi: 10.1088/0034-4885/76/9/096801. Epub 2013 Sep 4. Rep Prog Phys. 2013. PMID: 24004491 Review.
-
Life, hierarchy, and the thermodynamic machinery of planet Earth.Phys Life Rev. 2010 Dec;7(4):424-60. doi: 10.1016/j.plrev.2010.10.002. Epub 2010 Oct 12. Phys Life Rev. 2010. PMID: 20970394 Review.
Cited by
-
Revealing the Earth's mantle from the tallest mountains using the Jinping Neutrino Experiment.Sci Rep. 2016 Sep 9;6:33034. doi: 10.1038/srep33034. Sci Rep. 2016. PMID: 27611737 Free PMC article.
-
Nuclear georeactor origin of oceanic basalt 3He/4He, evidence, and implications.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003 Mar 18;100(6):3047-50. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0437778100. Epub 2003 Mar 3. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003. PMID: 12615991 Free PMC article.
-
Accretion timescales and style of asteroidal differentiation in an 26Al-poor protoplanetary disk.Geochim Cosmochim Acta. 2016 Mar 1;176:295-315. doi: 10.1016/j.gca.2015.10.036. Geochim Cosmochim Acta. 2016. PMID: 27445415 Free PMC article.
-
Deep-Earth reactor: nuclear fission, helium, and the geomagnetic field.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001 Sep 25;98(20):11085-90. doi: 10.1073/pnas.201393998. Epub 2001 Sep 18. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001. PMID: 11562483 Free PMC article.
References
-
- Science. 1947 Jan 10;105(2715):27-32 - PubMed
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
