Search for Hidden Chambers in the Pyramids

Abstract

Muon radiography is a promising technique to image the internal density structures upto a few hundred meters scale, such as tunnels, pyramids and volcanos, by measuring the flux attenuation of cosmic ray muons after trvaling through these targets. In this study, we conducted an experimantal cosmic ray muon radiography of the Wudalianchi volcano in northeast China for imaging its internal density structures. The muon detector used in this study is made of plastic scintillator and silicon photomultiplier. After about one and a half month observation for the Laoheishan volcano cone in the Wudalianchi volcano, from September 23rd to November 10th, 2019, more than 3 million muon tracks passing the data selection criteria are obtained. Based on the muon observations and the high-resoluiton topography from aerial photogrammetry by unmanned aerial vehicle, the relative density image of the Laoheishan volcano cone is obtained. The experiment in this study is the first muon radiography of volcano performed in China, and the results suggest the feasibility of radiography technique based on plastic scintillator muon detector. As a new passive geophysical imaging method, cosmic ray muon radiography could become a promising method to obtain the high-resoution 2-D and 3-D density structures for shallow geological targets.

Towards a muon radiography of the Puy de Dôme

“…Therefore, atmospheric muons are a relevant probe to perform an absorption measurement through large and dense structures. Early uses included probing Chephren's pyramid (Alvarez et al, 1970) and estimating the rock overburden on mountains (George, 1955). The counting of the number of atmospheric muons surviving through the structure provides a radiographic measurement of the matter distribution along the line of flight of the muons (Nagamine, 2004).…”

Particle and nuclear physics instrumentation and its broad connections

“…One of the more well-known examples of the application of particle physics techniques to a field outside of physics is an experiment that particle physicist Luis Alvarez from Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory and collaborators carried out to measure the distribution of cosmic ray muons incident on two 1.8 m 2 horizontal wire spark chambers with digital readout located in a chamber of the second pyramid of Giza in Egypt (Alvarez et al, 1970). Scintillation counters above and below the wire spark chambers triggered the application of voltage to the chambers when a charged particle was detected in each chamber over a small time interval.…”

Investigation of background sources of muography

“…The applicability of muography was demonstrated in various interdisciplinary fields, such as for searching hidden caverns inside historical buildings [1], above underground cavern and tunnel systems [2], for imaging [3] and monitoring [4] the density variations inside active volcanoes.…”