Search for hidden chambers using cosmic-ray muons – Public lecture by Mark Adams
FermilabKey Moments
Using muon technology to scan Mayan pyramids for hidden chambers.
Key Insights
Cosmic-ray muons, generated by exploding stars, can penetrate deep into objects, making them ideal for non-invasive imaging of ancient structures.
Muon tomography, similar to X-ray imaging but with vastly higher energy, can detect density variations and voids within structures like pyramids.
The Kukulcan pyramid at Chichén Itzá is being studied using muon detectors, with the goal of identifying previously unknown internal chambers.
Researchers are developing cost-effective muon detectors utilizing scintillator triangles and silicon photomultipliers, leveraging previous high-energy physics research.
The project also serves an educational purpose, training students from underrepresented backgrounds in STEM through hands-on experience with advanced physics techniques.
The team is collaborating with archaeologists and leveraging extensive 3D laser mapping of the pyramid's interior to model known structures and identify anomalies.
THE PRINCIPLE OF MUON TOMOGRAPHY
The lecture introduces the concept of using cosmic-ray muons for non-invasive imaging, particularly for detecting hidden chambers within structures like the Kukulcan pyramid. Cosmic rays, originating from exploding stars, generate muons when they collide with Earth's atmosphere. These muons are highly energetic and interact minimally with matter, allowing them to penetrate deep into the ground and structures. This property makes them ideal for 'muon tomography,' a technique analogous to X-ray imaging but with a million times greater energy. By placing detectors below a structure and measuring the rate and trajectories of muons that pass through, scientists can infer the presence of denser materials or empty spaces within.
THE KUKULCAN PYRAMID AND THE CHICHÉN ITZÁ PROJECT
The project focuses on the Kukulcan pyramid at Chichén Itzá, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Access to the pyramid's interior has been restricted for decades, making muon tomography a valuable non-invasive method for exploration. The team aims to map the pyramid's interior, searching for voids that could indicate undiscovered chambers or substructures, potentially revealing a hidden third pyramid beneath the known ones. The research is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and is also an educational initiative to train students in STEM from institutions like Chicago State and Dominican University.
TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT OF MUON DETECTORS
Developing practical and affordable muon detectors is crucial. The team is constructing detectors using scintillator strips arranged in triangles. This 'triangle' design, a concept from a 1990s Fermilab experiment, allows for precise tracking by interpolating signals from neighboring triangles, thereby reducing the number of costly readout channels. They are using silicon photomultipliers as photodetectors and sourcing materials and expertise from Fermilab, which has a history of supporting similar research through its facilities and R&D efforts on detector technology.
CHALLENGES AND INNOVATIONS IN DETECTOR CONSTRUCTION
The project has faced challenges, notably the global shortage of processor chips, which are essential for data readout. To overcome this, the team decided to purchase processors from a CERN supplier and redesign other electronic components. They are developing a detector system capable of handling approximately 100 muons per second and transmitting data periodically. The detector modules have been built and tested in a beamline, demonstrating excellent performance and confirming the viability of their tracking technique, even with the specialized triangle geometry and interpolation method.
FIELD WORK AND DATA COLLECTION AT CHICHÉN ITZÁ
The team conducted initial field work in March 2022, gathering essential data and performing laser mapping of the pyramid's interior with the help of Ben Stocker from Skender Corporation. This detailed 3D mapping is vital for creating accurate models of the known structures, which is a prerequisite for identifying any unknown anomalies. They also deployed a portable cosmic ray detector to measure muon rates inside and outside the pyramid, comparing these real-world measurements with simulations to validate their understanding of muon behavior through different materials.
FUTURE PLANS AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESEARCH
The next steps include returning to Chichén Itzá to test a mock-up of the detector in the tunnels and conduct density measurements of the pyramid's materials. The team plans to deploy their detector in the northern tunnel and potentially other locations to leverage stereo imaging for improved accuracy. The ultimate goal is to successfully image known structures within the pyramid, validating their method, before searching for and revealing new, undiscovered chambers. The success of this project could pave the way for similar muon tomography explorations in other pyramids worldwide.
Mentioned in This Episode
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●Studies Cited
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●People Referenced
Common Questions
Cosmic-ray muons are subatomic particles created when cosmic rays hit the Earth's atmosphere. They have high energy and don't interact much with matter, allowing them to penetrate dense materials like rock. By measuring the rate and direction of muons passing through a structure, scientists can infer the presence of density variations, such as hidden chambers.
Topics
Mentioned in this video
A previous Fermilab experiment from the 1990s that utilized the triangle technique for detector design, which the current project is adapting.
Loaned a readout board, enabling operation in the test beam.
The photo detectors used in the muon detector modules.
Associated with Skander Corporation, he performed the drone and laser mapping of the pyramid.
Uses muon tomography to assess ground conditions before tunneling.
One of the institutions involved in the project, an African-majority school contributing PIs and students.
The primary archaeological site where the muon tomography experiment is being conducted.
Provided Ben Stocker for drone and laser mapping of the pyramid.
The name given to the experiment to explore the pyramid using muons.
Another institution involved, a Hispanic-majority school contributing PIs and students.
An organization at Fermilab that provides cosmic ray experiments for high schools, offering analysis routines and hosting data for this project.
A different technology used in a previous pyramid imaging experiment.
A student from the University of Virginia who analyzed the detector's performance in the test beam.
Referenced to explain the nature of muons as heavy electrons, part of the second generation of particles.
Mentioned as a pyramid where previous muon tomography experiments detected a giant void.
Assisted the team in characterizing the scintillator materials.
The public lecturer discussing the use of cosmic-ray muons for imaging pyramids.
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