Speaker
Description
In a recent work, feasibility with the MURAY detector were studied for subsurface density imaging and structural characterization, in a salt mine for potential green hydrogen storage. The referenced study reports the design, deployment, expected results, and first data of the 1 m2 muon-tracking system in a challenging environment. The results confirm that such detectors can provide reliable transmission muography measurements over extended operation periods, establishing a robust baseline for further studies.
To enhance performance, a tracking upgrade implementing a ‘5-point’ track configuration has been developed, in which the 3D track is reconstructed using only five coordinates (three in one projection and two in the orthogonal projection) out of a possible six (three X and three Y layers). This track acceptance increases the total muon detection efficiency while providing a new tool for efficiency checks. The 5/6-point track method was tested on the MURAY detector, but it can be applied to any detector system with at least three detection planes, each providing two independent coordinate projections. Overall, together with hardware and software improvements, the upgraded MURAY system delivers improved angular resolution, more efficient reconstruction, and stable high SNR in low-flux environments.
Field results from the Italkali salt mine in Realmonte (Sicily) demonstrate a new record in muographic cavity-imaging validation at depths exceeding 200 m within a salt mine. Data collected from the first underground position over 130 days of live time at an average rate of 0.1 Hz show stable detector performance throughout the campaign. The measurements resolve density-length variations at the 2–3% level with high statistical significance and provide geologically useful density information for the surveyed region. These results validate the upgraded detector’s capability for deep underground muography and confirm its potential for high-resolution subsurface imaging in complex geological environments.