An innovative technology for Nondestructive Testing and Characterization of large industrial structures and high-density systems using cosmic muon radiation.
About Muography or Muon Tomography
Natural Radiation
Cosmic rays are subatomic particles, mostly protons, travelling through the cosmos. Often, some of this particles arrive at the Earth. When a primary cosmic ray reaches the atmosphere, a process breaks producing a large number of high-energy particles that propagate through the atmosphere itself, generating a cascade of particles called air shower.
Constant Flux
When the particles generated by the primary cosmic ray propagate through the atmosphere, they lose energy and decay in other particles. At the end of the process just a part of this radiation reaches the surface of the Earth. Most of this radiation is composed of muons. The continuos interaction of cosmic rays with the atmosphere provides a constant flux of muons at the Earth surface..
Detection
Muons that reach the Earth surface are able to pass through all the objects in their trajectory. Muons deviate and lose energy when they pass through the object, in function of the density and the components of the object. It is possible to infer the inner properties of an object by measuring how muons are modified by crossing it.
Reconstruction
Muon interaction reconstruction give us enough information to make density maps, or muographs, of the object. These maps, similar to the radiographs, give information about the density of the internal components of the object. Analyzing this information it is possible to detect foreign objects, measure wear, thickness, breakage, corrosion, ..., etc. inside the object.
Technological innovation:
Muon Systems offers a muon tomography service oriented to large industrial and natural structures using in-home developed detectors, algorithms, and analysis tools.
The technique utilizes cosmic muon radiation present naturally in the environment, being its application innocuous, safe, and clean.
We combine state-of-the-art detection technologies with innovative manufacturing and processing solutions, making the muon tomography a competitive and novel technology, that provides solutions at a scale never achieved by traditional tomographic systems.
VERSATILE
Competitive in a wide range of applications in both, industrial and natural environments. It is particularly suitable for large structures and high-density systems, due to its high penetration power in matter..
ACCURATE
Our detection systems provide millimetric-level accuracy in large structures.
SAFE
No special safety/security protections nor highly qualified operators required. The technique is fully innocuous for both, living beings and structures.
CLEAN
No residues are generated. Cosmic radiation has a natural origin and does not produce any contamination of the environment. This allows continuous monitoring of structures.
GLOBAL
No geographic limits for application. Since cosmic radiation is all around the globe the technique can be used in outdoor environments, inside buildings or even underground.
What does Muon Tomography allow?
It allows to explore and observe the interior of large objects, structures, and environments, without any contact or damage, and without having physical access to them.
It is similar to other Nondestructive methods such as X-rays imaging, but with some fundamental advantages: it uses natural radiation, the application is safe and clean, and it provides a higher level of penetration in matter. Cosmic muon radiation was observed for the first time at the beginning of the XXth century.
This radiation has been widely studied since then, and the validity of the technique has been extensively contrasted, although it remains relatively unknown for the general public. The latest advances in the design and manufacturing of the detectors make Muon Tomography a very attractive and competitive technique to solve many problems of the industry.
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