Some Important Insights and Discoveries of J. Marvin Herndon
On the basis of data discovered in the 1960’s, J. Marvin Herndon deduced the composition of the inner core as being nickel silicide, not partially crystallized nickel-iron metal as proposed by Francis Birch in 1940. This means that the deep interior is like an enstatite chondrite meteorite, rather than an ordinary chondrite meteorite as presumed by Birch. The principal implication is that the Earth’s core contains radioactive elements, including uranium, which would otherwise not have been expected. Herndon, J. M. (1979) The nickel silicide inner core of the Earth. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A368, 495-500. Click here for pdf.
By fundamental ratios of mass, J. Marvin Herndon showed that the core and lower mantle of the Earth are chemically analogous to the two components of the Abee enstatite chondrite. This provides evidence that the deep interior of the Earth is indeed like an enstatite chondrite meteorite and it means that one can estimate the abundances of the elements in the core and lower mantle from measured abundances in corresponding parts of the Abee meteorite. Herndon, J. M. (1980) The chemical composition of the interior shells of the Earth. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A372, 149-154. Herndon, J. M. (2004) Scientific basis of knowledge on Earth's composition. Curr Sci. 88, 1034-1037. Click here for pdf.
With knowledge of the ancient remains of natural nuclear reactors discovered in Africa in 1972, J. Marvin Herndon demonstrated the feasibility of planetocentric nuclear fission reactors as energy sources for the giant outer planets. Herndon, J. M. (1992) Nuclear fission reactors as energy sources for the giant outer planets. Naturwissenschaften 79, 7-14. Click here for pdf.
With an understanding that the Earth’s core contains uranium, J. Marvin Herndon used Fermi’s nuclear reactor theory to demonstrate the feasibility of a natural nuclear fission, fast neutron, breeder reactor at the center of the Earth, called the georeactor. Unlike other energy sources, which might change only gradually, the georeactor is capable of variable energy output including stopping (because of fission product accumulation) and re-starting again (as the light fission products float radially outward). Variable deep-Earth energy production may have important, not yet appreciated, implications on geomagnetic field variability, on planetary change and on global warming. Herndon, J. M. (1993) Feasibility of a nuclear fission reactor at the center of the Earth as the energy source for the geomagnetic field. J. Geomag. Geoelectr. 45, 423-437. Click here for pdf. Herndon, J. M. (1994) Planetary and protostellar nuclear fission: Implications for planetary change, stellar ignition and dark matter. Proc. R. Soc. Lond A455, 453-461. Click here for pdf.
J. Marvin Herndon predicted low-density, high-temperature Earth core precipitates [CaS and MgS] floating atop the fluid core at the core-mantle boundary. These are an expected consequence of the enstatite-chondrite-alloy-like core, originally containing some calcium and some magnesium dissolved in the iron alloy and are responsible for the seismic "roughness" observed there. Herndon, J. M. (1993) Feasibility of a nuclear fission reactor at the center of the Earth as the energy source for the geomagnetic field. J. Geomag. Geoelectr. 45, 423-437. Click here for pdf. Herndon, J. M. (1996) Sub-structure of the inner core of the earth. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 93, 646-648. Click here for pdf. Herndon, J. M. (2005) Scientific basis of knowledge on Earth's composition. Curr.Sci. 88, 1034-1037. Click here for pdf.
Daniel F. Hollenbach and J. Marvin Herndon demonstrated, from numerical simulations made at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, that a deep-Earth nuclear fission reactor will produce both light-helium, 3He, and heavy-helium, 4He, precisely within the range of values observed from deep-source lavas. The helium found in oceanic lavas, first observed over three decades ago, is evidence that a natural, planetary-scale, nuclear reactor operates at the center of the Earth. Hollenbach, D. F. & Herndon, J. M. (2001) Deep-earth reactor: nuclear fission, helium, and the geomagnetic field. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 98, 11085-11090. Click here for pdf.
J. Marvin Herndon demonstrated, from more detailed numerical simulations made at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, that a deep-Earth nuclear fission reactor, the georeactor, will produce sufficient helium with precisely the range of ratios as observed from deep-source oceanic basalt lavas. Moreover, the ratio of 3He to 4He increases over the lifetime of the georeactor. The high ratios observed in Icelandic and Hawaiian basalts suggest that the end of the georeactor lifetime is approaching, perhaps within the next billion years, and presumably soon thereafter the geomagnetic field will begin its final collapse. Herndon, J. M. (2003) Nuclear georeactor origin of oceanic basalt 3He/4He, evidence, and implications. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 100, 3047-3050. Click here for pdf.
J. Marvin Herndon discovered a fundamental relationship using published whole-rock chondrite molar Mg/Fe and Si/Fe ratios. This relationship admits the possibility that ordinary chondrite meteorites are derived from two components: one is a relatively undifferentiated, primitive component, oxidized like the CI or C1 chondrites; the other is a somewhat differentiated, planetary component, with oxidation state like the reduced enstatite chondrites. Such a picture would seem to explain for the ordinary chondrites, their major element compositions, their intermediate states of oxidation, and their ubiquitous deficiencies of refractory siderophile elements. It is suggested that the planetary component of ordinary chondrite formation consists of planet Mercury's missing complement of elements. Herndon, J. M. (2004) Ordinary chondrite formation from two components: Implied connection to planet Mercury. Click here for pdf or go to http://arXiv.org/astro-ph/0405298. Also, see related Herndon, J. M. (2004) Mercury's protoplanetary mass. Click here for pdf or go to http://arXiv.org/astro-ph/0410009 and Herndon, J. M. (2004) Total mass of ordinary chondrite material originally present in the Solar System. Click here for pdf or go to http://arXiv.org/astro-ph/0410242. This fundamental concept was has been published in Current Science: Herndon, J. M. (2007) Discovery of fundamental mass ratio relationships of whole-rock chondritic major elements: Implications on ordinary chondrite formation and on planet Mercury's composition. Curr. Sci. 93, 394-399. Click here for pdf.
From observations of matter, J. Marvin Herndon deduced the basis and reasons for understanding planetary formation in the Solar System mainly as the consequence of "raining out" from within giant gaseous protoplanets, leading to initial Earth formation as a giant-gaseous-Jupiter-like planet, a concept consistent with observations of close-to-star gas giants in other planetary systems. Herndon, J. M. (2004) Solar System formation deduced from observations of matter. Click here for pdf or go to http://arXiv.org/astro-ph/0408151.
In a report published in Current Science, J. Marvin Herndon set forth the principles of Whole-Earth Decompression Dynamics which unifies elements of plate tectonics theory and Earth expansion theory into a uniquely new self-consistent vision of global geodynamics. Herndon, J. M. (2005) Whole-Earth decompression dynamics. Curr. Sci. 89, 1937-1941. Click here for pdf. Herndon, J. M. (2004) Protoplanetary Earth formation: further evidence and geophysical implications. Click here for pdf or go to http://arXiv.org/astro-ph/0408539.
In a communication published in Current Science, J. Marvin Herndon describes one of the consequences of whole-Earth decompression dynamics, a heretofore unrealized, different energy source for driving geodynamics and a new mechanism for emplacing heat at the base of the crust, producing volcanoes and causing earthquakes, called Mantle Decompression Thermal-Tsunami. Herndon, J. M. (2006) Energy for geodynamics: Mantle decompression thermal-tsunami. Curr. Sci. 90, 1605-1606. Click here for pdf.
In an invited paper written for "Neutrino Geophysics", a Special Issue of Earth, Moon and Planets, J. Marvin Herndon shows that only three processes, operant during the formation of the Solar System, are responsible for the diversity of matter in the Solar System and are directly responsible for planetary internal-structures, including planetocentric nuclear fission reactors, and for dynamical processes, including and especially, geodynamics. Herndon, J. M. (2006) Solar System processes underlying planetary formation, geodynamics, and the georeactor. Earth, Moon and Planets, 99, 53-99. Click here for pdf.
In a paper published in Current Science, J. Marvin Herndon points out that the prognosis for vast natural resources from abiotic natural gas and petroleum resources, which depends critically on the nature and circumstances of Earth formation, has for decades been considered solely within the framework of the now-discredited standard model of solar system formation. Within the context of recent advances related to the formation of Earth, initially as a Jupiter-like gas giant, that prognosis is greatly enhanced for several reasons. Herndon, J. M. (2006) Enhanced prognosis for abiotic natural gas and petroleum resources. Curr. Sci. 91, 596-598. Click here for pdf.
In a paper published in Current Science, J. Marvin Herndon sets forth a fundamentally new concept for the generation of Earth's magnetic field. Previously, he had considered the nuclear reactor at the center of the Earth, the georeactor, only as the energy source for powering the mechanism that generated the geomagnetic field. This paper extends the concept, suggesting that the georeactor is both the energy source and the mechanism for generating the geomagnetic field, and points out the reasons why long-term, sustained convection appears more feasible within the georeactor sub-shell than within the Earth's fluid core. The concepts and principles are generally applicable to planetary magnetic field production. Herndon, J. M. (2007) Nuclear georeactor generation of the earth's geomagnetic field. Curr. Sci. 93, 1485-1457. Click here for pdf.
The above is not a full tabulation of important insights and discoveries.