Muons Reveal a Hidden Chamber Inside The Great Pyramid
Inside Egypt’s Great Pyramid of Giza lies a mysterious cavity, its void unseen by any living human, its surface untouched by modern hands. But luckily, scientists have developed a new way to peer inside of what was previously considered unaccesible space.
Muons, electrons awkward cousin, are tiny subatomic particles born in the upper layers of Earth's athmosphere. Muons were launched towards the Great Pyramid of Giza and they burrowed their way through the gigantic structure. On their trajectory, they left imprinted hints about structures and materials they are passing through on sensitive detectors in and around the pyramid.
Muography, a new technique sparked interest not only with the archaelogical community, but also with researches in other fields as well. Muography is now being used to take a look inside Volcanoes. That internal view could give scientists more information about how and when a volcano is likely to erupt.
What makes muons special?
Muons are readily available for use since they are produced when high – energy particles from space ( cosmis rays ), collide with the Earth's athmosphere. They continouosly rain down through the atmosphere at varying angles. Upon reaching the surface of the Earth, Muons can collide with and pass through large structures, like the pyramids for example. However, they penetrate smaller objects too. For instance, a human nail is pierced by a muon about once every minute. To researchers, this provides a valuable tool. By measuring how many particles are absorbed as they pass through a structure, they can estimate the density of a certain object and consequently reveal any hidden gaps within.
Even though the technique is rather similar to X -Rays, it allows the scientists to take what can be described as X – Ray images on a massive scale. Muons are readily available and Earth has a never ending – suply of the particle.
One of a kind particle
Muons may seem like an unnecesary oddity of physics. When the identity of the particle was revealed, many physicists were flabergasted by the mere existence of muons. While electrons, muons distant cousin, play a crucial role in atoms, much heavier muons apparently serve no purpose. On the other hand, muons turned out to be ideal for making images of the interiors of large objects. With mass about 207 times as large as electron's, the extra bulk means muons can travers hundreds of meters of rock.
The difference between an electron and a muon passing through matter is like the difference between a bullet and a cannonball, says particle physicist Cristina Cârloganu. A wall may stop a bullet, while a cannonball passes through.
Additionally, muons are plentiful, which means there is no need to create artificial beams of radiation. They are also very easy to detect, a simple detector made of strips and plastic and light sensors will do the trick. Like electrons, muons have a negative charge. Their antiparticles, antimuons, also rain down on Earth and have a positive charge. Muon detectors will capture tracks of both negatively and positively charged varieties.
When these particles pass through material, their energy levels vary in different ways.With energy loss, muons slow down, sometimes so much that they stop. The higher the density of the material, the fewer muons will make it through to a detector, usually placed underneath or to the side of the material. Therefore, large objects, like the pyramids, will cast a „muon shadow“, allowing for any gaps within the structures to appear as bright spots within that shadow, because more muons can slip through.