Transmission-Based Muography for Ore Bodies Prospecting: A Case Study from a Skarn Complex in Italy

Abstract

Transmission-based muography (TM) is an innovative imaging technique based on the measurement and analysis of the cosmic ray muons flux attenuation within the target under investigation. This technique allows imaging inner-body density differences and has successfully been applied in a wide range of research fields: geology, archaeology, engineering geology and civil engineering. The aim of this study is to show the reliability of TM as an innovative, noninvasive geophysical method for ore body prospecting and other mining related studies. The measurements were carried out at the Temperino mine in the San Silvestro Archaeological and Mining Park (Campiglia Marittima, Italy), where several magmatic and metasomatic geological units are embodied. Among them, a Cu–Fe–Zn–Pb(–Ag) sulfide skarn complex primarily composed by hedenbergite and ilvaite minerals. Using the acquired muon imaging data obtained with the MIMA (Muon Imaging for Mining and Archaeology) detector prototype (cubic detector of 0.5 × 0.5 × 0.5 m3), the presence of a high-density vein inside the skarn body within the rock volume above the muon detector was identified, localized and interpreted. Applying a back-projection algorithm to the obtained 2D transmission map made it possible to estimate and visualize as point cloud data, in a 2D or 3D environment, the identified high-density body and its relative distance from the detector. The results of this study highlight the potential of muography as a support tool to other geophysical methods in the field of mining exploration.

Muography as a support technique for non-invasive research and three-dimensional localization of tombs in archaeological sites: a case study from Palazzone Necropolis (Perugia – Italy)

“…The technique is applicable up to distances from the detector equal to ∼ 𝑙/𝜎 𝛼 where 𝑙 is the distance between the tracking planes and 𝜎 𝛼 the detector angular resolution. This technique was applied in [14,15].…”

Exploring the potential of muon radiography for blast furnace assessments: advancements in non-invasive imaging and structural analysis

“…The INFN-UNIFI team in Florence has measured muon energy and angular spectra at ground level in the momentum range from 0.1 to 130 GeV/c and in the zenith angle range from 0 • up to 80 • using the ADAMO [5] magnetic spectrometer made with a permanent magnet and a microstrip silicon tracker. Based on these measurements, a fast muon generator was implemented and successfully used to compare different muon radiographs with dedicated simulations [7][8][9]. The spectrometer results have been used for the implementation of a realistic atmospheric muon generator integrated within a GEANT4 software package which will be described in a future dedicated article.…”

Muon Imaging for Cu-Fe Ore Shoot Identification: Results and Next Challenges

“…Despite this, they can provide a larger but less specific insight into the geological structure of the surrounding rock formations. In this context, the muon imaging technique is developing as a cost-effective and trustworthy booster for both invasive and noninvasive consolidated survey techniques in the underground mining field [1,2,3,4]. For this purpose, the MIMA detector prototype (Muon Imaging for Mining and Archaeology; a cubic detector of 0.4 × 0.4 m 2 active surface), implemented during the MIMA-SITES research project, was used [1,4,5].…”

“…In this context, the muon imaging technique is developing as a cost-effective and trustworthy booster for both invasive and noninvasive consolidated survey techniques in the underground mining field [1,2,3,4]. For this purpose, the MIMA detector prototype (Muon Imaging for Mining and Archaeology; a cubic detector of 0.4 × 0.4 m 2 active surface), implemented during the MIMA-SITES research project, was used [1,4,5]. The MIMA tracker is a small and rugged muon tracker developed by physicists of the National Institute for Nuclear Physics (INFN) and the Department of Physics and Astronomy of Florence [6,7,8].…”