In this talk I introduce a novel approach--Muon Beam Imaging (MBI)--a technique with significant potential for non-destructive testing (NDT), industrial and medical diagnostics. While conventional muon tomography offers superior penetration compared to X-rays, its practicality has been limited by the reliance on cosmic rays leading to prohibitively long scan times from hours to weeks and months.
I address this critical limitation by presenting a compact and scalable MBI system enabled by laser-plasma acceleration (LPA). We demonstrate a paradigm shift in muon source technology, leveraging the ultra-high electric fields of LPA to generate a high flux, artificially produced muon beam. This method not only drastically reduces the physical footprint and power requirements of the system but also provides a tuneable source that can be optimized for specific imaging needs, e.g., radiological applications in medicine.
The presentation will detail the methodology, expected performance metrics, and the multimodal imaging capabilities of this system. It will highlight its broad applicability across key sectors, from industrial quality control in aerospace and nuclear fields to low-dose medical diagnostics. This research represents a crucial step towards making MBI a viable and transformative technology for both science and industry. I also introduce a startup company developing the technology, MuRayTech / mu-ray.tech.
Zoom meeting: https://cern.zoom.us/j/67908493729?pwd=LvUqhBXvaVV7okJOkonMwNarntOyym.1