Neutrino geophysics at baksan: On searches for antineutrinos and radiogenic-heat sources in the interior of the earth

Antineutrinos produced in the Earth (geoneutrinos) carry information that is of crucial importance for the understanding of the origin and evolution of our planet. It is shown that the Baksan Neutrino Observatory of the Institute for Nuclear Research (Moscow, Russian Academy of Sciences) may become one of the best laboratories for studying geoneutrinos with the aid of a large scintillation spectrometer. The article also presents a brief history of the development of concepts of the Earth as a source of antineutrinos—it dates back to 1960, spanning a period of nearly 45 years (1960–2004).