A muon detector and muon positioning method, muon track reconstruction method
By designing a three-layer scintillator structure and introducing continuous geometric mapping and joint constraints between azimuth and axial coordinates, the contradiction between axial positioning accuracy and complexity in existing drilling-type muon detectors is resolved, achieving high-precision, stable, and wide-range muon detection.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- NANHUA UNIV
- Filing Date
- 2026-05-28
- Publication Date
- 2026-06-23
AI Technical Summary
Existing drilling-type muon detectors struggle to balance axial positioning accuracy and detector complexity, especially in small-diameter structures where high-precision positioning is difficult to achieve.
A three-layer scintillator structure is adopted, including a first scintillator layer, a second spiral scintillator layer and a third scintillator layer. By introducing continuous geometric mapping and joint constraints between azimuth and axial coordinates, the axial positioning accuracy is improved, and the detection range is increased and the imaging time is shortened by using a multi-turn spiral scintillator.
It improves the axial positioning accuracy and positioning stability of the muon detector, reduces the complexity of the detector, increases the detection range, and shortens the imaging time.
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Figure CN122260385A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of muon detection technology, specifically to a muon detector and a muon localization method and track reconstruction method. Background Technology
[0002] Cosmic ray muons are secondary particles generated by the interaction of high-energy cosmic rays from space with gas molecules in the atmosphere. They are characterized by a wide energy range and strong penetrating power, serving as the background radiation source of nature. Muons can penetrate most geological layers, and their intensity decreases with penetration depth and geological density. Therefore, by monitoring the muon flux penetrating different underground objects, the density distribution of matter can be inferred, thereby enabling imaging of geological structures, large buildings, and mineral deposits.
[0003] Existing drilling-type muon detector technologies mainly include two-layer intersecting cylindrical detectors and two-layer spiral cylindrical detectors. The two-layer intersecting cylindrical detector typically employs a two-layer structure consisting of circumferential sensitive units and axial annular sensitive units. Its working principle is as follows: First, the approximate azimuth angle of the impact point is obtained through the outer circumferential sensitive unit; second, the axial layer number of the impact point is obtained through the inner annular stacked layer; third, the circumferential channel number and the axial layer number are cross-combined to determine the muon's impact point position on the cylinder sidewall. The two-layer spiral cylindrical detector typically uses spiral sensitive units on the cylinder surface to establish a geometric coding relationship between the azimuth angle and axial coordinates of the muon impact point. Its working principle is as follows: First, the approximate azimuth angle of the impact point is obtained through the outer circumferential sensitive unit; second, the spiral channel numbers of the middle and inner layers where the muon impacts are recorded, and the impact point position is calculated based on the geometric relationship of the spiral channels, and the zenith angle of the impact position is reconstructed; third, the muon trajectory is reconstructed by combining multiple impact points or other auxiliary information.
[0004] Existing two-layer intersecting cylindrical detectors suffer from at least the following technical problems: Since the axial coordinates of the impact point are directly determined by the inner ring layer number, its axial positioning accuracy primarily depends on the ring layer thickness. When the ring layer thickness is large, the axial position quantization error is significant, thus affecting the axial positioning accuracy. While reducing the inner ring layer thickness and increasing the number of ring layers can improve axial positioning accuracy, it further increases the number of detection units, readout channels, assembly complexity, and system stability, making it unsuitable for engineering applications under conditions of small-diameter boreholes and compact structures. Summary of the Invention
[0005] This invention provides a muon detector, a muon positioning method, and a track reconstruction method to solve the technical problem that existing technologies cannot simultaneously achieve both axial positioning accuracy and detector complexity.
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution.
[0007] On one hand, a muon detector is provided, comprising a first scintillator layer, a second scintillator layer, and a third scintillator layer; the first scintillator layer comprises a plurality of annular first scintillators stacked in a cylindrical shape along a vertical direction; the second scintillator layer comprises a plurality of elongated second scintillators spirally and tightly wound around the outer wall of the first scintillator layer, each second scintillator being wound multiple times around the outer wall of the first scintillator layer; the third scintillator layer comprises a plurality of elongated third scintillators extending in a vertical direction, the plurality of third scintillators being distributed circumferentially along the outer wall of the second scintillator layer from the first scintillator layer.
[0008] Compared to existing two-layer intersecting cylindrical detectors, this invention eliminates the need to increase the number of layers of the first scintillator. By adding a helical second scintillator, a continuous geometric mapping between the azimuth and axial coordinates is introduced. This ensures that the axial position is determined not only by the sequence number of the first scintillator but also by the combined constraints of the third and second scintillators, improving axial positioning accuracy without increasing the complexity of the muon detector. Secondly, existing double-layer helical detectors, to avoid periodic axial ambiguity introduced by multiple helical turns, can only use a single helical scintillator, resulting in low axial accuracy. This invention eliminates the periodic axial ambiguity introduced by multiple helical turns through the combined constraint of the third and second scintillators and improves axial accuracy by using multiple helical scintillators. Furthermore, to ensure detection accuracy, the helix angle of the helical scintillator is generally set to 25°~35°, preferably 30°. Therefore, with the same helix angle, this invention can increase the detector length by using multiple helical scintillators, thereby increasing the detection range and shortening the imaging time. Furthermore, because the axial position is jointly constrained by the three scintillators, geometric consistency can be determined for false triggering, crosstalk, or inconsistent combinations, thereby improving positioning stability and reliability. It should be noted that the first, second, and third scintillators can all be made of plastic scintillating fiber material. The first scintillator is ring-shaped, while the second and third scintillators are elongated strips with circular cross-sections. The scintillators, in conjunction with photoelectric readout devices such as silicon photomultipliers, determine the impact point location by collecting the signal generated when muons strike the scintillators.
[0009] On another front, a muon localization method is provided, applicable to the aforementioned muon detector, the method comprising:
[0010] S1. Determine the azimuth of the point of impact based on the serial number of the third scintillator hit by the muon;
[0011] S2. Determine the set of candidate values for the axial position of the impact point based on the azimuth of the impact point, the serial number of the second scintillator hit by the muon, and the length of the muon detector; determine the initial axial position of the impact point based on the serial number of the first scintillator hit by a single muon.
[0012] S3. Take the candidate value in the set of candidate axial positions that is closest to the initially selected axial position as the final axial position of the hitting point;
[0013] S4. Determine the spatial coordinates of the impact point based on the azimuth and final axial position of the impact point.
[0014] The aforementioned muon-based positioning method introduces a continuous geometric mapping between azimuth and axial coordinates, ensuring that the axial position is determined not only by the sequence number of the first scintillator but also by the joint constraints of the third and second scintillators. Specifically, the third scintillator determines the azimuth information of the impact point, the second scintillator maps the azimuth information to candidate axial positions using a spiral geometric relationship, and finally, the first scintillator performs deambiguity filtering on the candidate axial positions, thereby improving axial positioning accuracy. Furthermore, because the axial position is jointly constrained by the three scintillators, it can perform geometric consistency discrimination for false triggering, crosstalk, or inconsistent combinations, thus improving positioning stability and reliability.
[0015] In some embodiments, in step S2, the set of axial position candidate values includes those that satisfy the condition All candidate solutions; where, Candidate values for axial position. It is an integer. The length of the muon detector; ; The azimuth of the point of impact. For the first The initial phase of the second scintillator at the reference position; The value is the chiral parameter for the helix; for a positive helix, it is +1, and for a negative helix, it is -1. The spiral angular velocity, , The number of turns of the second scintillator.
[0016] In some embodiments, in step S1, when a single muon simultaneously hits multiple adjacent third scintillators, energy weighting is performed based on the signal amplitudes of the multiple simultaneously hit third scintillators, and the azimuth of the hit point is determined using the charge centroid method.
[0017] On another front, a method for reconstructing muon tracks is provided, the method comprising: determining muon tracks based on the spatial coordinates of the incident point and the exit point; wherein the spatial coordinates of the incident point and the exit point are determined by the aforementioned muon positioning method.
[0018] In another aspect, a computer device is provided, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of the above-described method.
[0019] In another aspect, a computer-readable storage medium is provided that stores a computer program or instructions thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the above-described method.
[0020] In another aspect, a computer program product is provided, including a computer program or instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the above-described method.
[0021] This invention has at least the following technical effects or advantages:
[0022] 1. Compared with the existing two-layer intersecting cylindrical detector, the present invention does not require increasing the number of layers of the first scintillator. By adding a spiral second scintillator, a continuous geometric mapping between the azimuth angle and the axial coordinate is introduced, so that the axial position is not only determined by the number of the first scintillator, but also by the joint constraint of the third scintillator and the second scintillator. This improves the axial positioning accuracy without increasing the complexity of the muon detector.
[0023] 2. Compared with existing double-layer spiral detectors, the present invention eliminates the periodic axial ambiguity introduced by the combined constraint of the third and second scintillators, and improves the axial accuracy by setting up a multi-turn spiral scintillator.
[0024] 3. Under the same helix angle, the present invention can increase the length of the detector by setting up a multi-turn helical scintillator, thereby increasing the detection range and shortening the imaging time.
[0025] 4. It can perform geometric consistency judgment on false triggering, crosstalk, or combination inconsistency events, thereby improving positioning stability and reliability. Attached Figure Description
[0026] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of a muon detector in one embodiment of the present invention;
[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram showing the positions and shapes of three scintillators in one embodiment of the present invention;
[0028] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of a muon detector in one embodiment of the present invention;
[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the azimuth angle in one embodiment of the present invention;
[0030] Figure 5This is a schematic diagram of the final axial position of the impact point in one embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation
[0031] To better understand the above technical solutions, the following will provide a detailed explanation of the technical solutions in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods.
[0032] Example 1
[0033] like Figures 1-3 As shown, a muon detector includes a first scintillator layer 1, a second scintillator layer 2, and a third scintillator layer 3. The first scintillator layer 1 includes multiple annular first scintillators 11 stacked in a cylindrical shape along the vertical direction. The second scintillator layer 2 includes multiple long strip-shaped second scintillators 21 spirally and tightly wound around the outer wall of the first scintillator layer 1, with each second scintillator 21 wound multiple times around the outer wall of the first scintillator layer 1. The third scintillator layer 3 includes multiple long strip-shaped third scintillators 31 extending in the vertical direction, with the multiple third scintillators 31 distributed circumferentially along the outer wall of the second scintillator layer 2.
[0034] Example 2
[0035] A muon localization method, applicable to the aforementioned muon detector, comprising:
[0036] S1. Determine the azimuth of the point of impact based on the serial number of the third scintillator hit by the muon. ;
[0037] like Figure 4 As shown, assume the third scintillator layer has a total of The third scintillator, numbered sequentially as follows: ; then the first The azimuth angle of the third scintillator It can be calculated using the following formula: In the formula, For reference, the starting azimuth angle, i.e., the azimuth angle of the third scintillator numbered 0, The preferred setting is 0, meaning the third scintillator, numbered 0, is aligned with the X-axis; according to the above formula, it is only necessary to determine the sequence number of the third scintillator hit by the muon. This allows us to determine the azimuth of the point of impact. It should be noted that the azimuth angle in this invention refers to the angle relative to the positive X-axis, that is, the azimuth angle in the positive X-axis direction is zero.
[0038] S2. Determine the set of candidate values for the axial position of the impact point based on the azimuth of the impact point, the serial number of the second scintillator hit by the muon, and the length of the muon detector; determine the initial axial position of the impact point based on the serial number of the first scintillator hit by the muon.
[0039] Specifically, the set of candidate values for axial position Including meeting the conditions All candidate solutions; where, Candidate values for axial position. It is an integer. The effective length of the detector is the length of the detector when three scintillators are simultaneously covering it. ; The azimuth of the point of impact. For the first The initial azimuth angle of the second scintillator on the reference axial section, wherein the reference axial section is preferably taken as follows: The corresponding cross section, such as Figure 5 As shown; in the above formula, The value is the chiral parameter for the helix; for a positive helix, it is +1, and for a negative helix, it is -1. The spiral angular velocity, , The number of turns of the second scintillator. Since the initial azimuth angle of each second scintillator on the reference axial section is predetermined, the corresponding initial azimuth angle can be determined based on the sequence number of the second scintillator hit by the muon, thus obtaining the candidate value of the axial position. and axial position candidate value set ;
[0040] Initial axial position of the hit point ;in The thickness of the first scintillator, , The number of first scintillators in the first scintillator layer; This is the serial number of the first scintillator hit by the muon.
[0041] S3. Take the candidate value in the set of candidate axial positions that is closest to the initially selected axial position as the final axial position of the hitting point;
[0042] That is, the final axial position ,in ;
[0043] S4. Determine the spatial coordinates of the impact point based on its azimuth and final axial position. That is, the spatial coordinates of the impact point. , Let be the radius of the muon detector. This completes the localization of the location where a single muon struck the muon detector.
[0044] As a preferred embodiment, in step S1, when a single muon simultaneously strikes multiple adjacent third scintillators, energy weighting is performed based on the signal amplitudes of the multiple simultaneously struck third scintillators, and the azimuth of the strike point is determined using the charge centroid method.
[0045] Specifically, the azimuth of the impact point is determined using the charge centroid method. ;in The first one to be hit The signal amplitude of the third scintillator, The first one to be hit The azimuth angle of the third scintillator can be obtained through step S1.
[0046] Example 3
[0047] A method for reconstructing muon tracks includes: determining muon tracks based on the spatial coordinates of the incident point and the exit point; the spatial coordinates of the incident point and the exit point are determined by the aforementioned muon positioning method.
[0048] Specifically, the spatial coordinates of the incident point are obtained according to the above muon positioning method. Spatial coordinates of the launch point Then the path of Mu Zi can be found. .
[0049] Example 4
[0050] A computer device includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of the method described above.
[0051] Example 5
[0052] A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program or instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the above-described method.
[0053] Example 6
[0054] A computer program product includes a computer program or instructions that, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the above-described method.
[0055] Numerous specific details are set forth in the specification provided herein. However, it will be understood that embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures, and techniques have not been shown in detail so as not to obscure the understanding of this specification.
[0056] Similarly, it should be understood that, in order to streamline this disclosure and aid in understanding one or more of the various aspects of the invention, in the above description of exemplary embodiments of the invention, various features of the invention are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof. However, this method of disclosure should not be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed invention requires more features than expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as reflected in the claims, inventive aspects lie in fewer than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Therefore, the claims following the detailed description are hereby expressly incorporated into that detailed description, wherein each claim itself is a separate embodiment of the invention.
[0057] Those skilled in the art will understand that the modules, units, or groups of devices in the examples disclosed herein can be arranged in the device as described in this embodiment, or alternatively, can be located in one or more devices different from the device in this example. The modules in the foregoing examples can be combined into a single module or further divided into multiple sub-modules.
[0058] Those skilled in the art will understand that modules in the device of the embodiments can be adaptively changed and placed in one or more devices different from that embodiment. Modules, units, or groups in the embodiments can be combined into a single module, unit, or group, and further, they can be divided into multiple sub-modules, sub-units, or sub-groups. Except where at least some of such features and / or processes or units are mutually exclusive, any combination can be used to combine all features disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) and all processes or units of any method or device so disclosed. Unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed in this specification (including the accompanying claims, abstract, and drawings) may be replaced by an alternative feature that serves the same, equivalent, or similar purpose.
[0059] Furthermore, those skilled in the art will understand that although some embodiments described herein include certain features included in other embodiments but not others, combinations of features from different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the invention and form different embodiments.
[0060] Furthermore, some of the embodiments described herein are methods or combinations of method elements that can be implemented by a processor of a computer system or by other means of performing the functions. Therefore, a processor having the necessary instructions for implementing the methods or method elements forms means for implementing the methods or method elements. Furthermore, the elements described herein in the apparatus embodiments are examples of means for implementing the functions performed by elements for the purposes of carrying out the invention.
[0061] The various techniques described herein can be implemented in combination with hardware or software, or a combination thereof. Thus, the methods and apparatus of the present invention, or certain aspects or portions thereof, can take the form of program code (i.e., instructions) embedded in a tangible medium, such as a floppy disk, CD-ROM, hard disk, or any other machine-readable storage medium, wherein when the program is loaded into and executed by a machine such as a computer, the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the present invention.
[0062] When the program code is executed on a programmable computer, the computing device generally includes a processor, a processor-readable storage medium (including volatile and non-volatile memory and / or storage elements), at least one input device, and at least one output device. The memory is configured to store program code; the processor is configured to execute the method of the present invention according to instructions in the program code stored in the memory.
[0063] By way of example, and not limitation, computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media. Computer storage media stores information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. Communication media generally embodies computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in the form of modulated data signals such as carrier waves or other transmission mechanisms, and includes any information delivery medium. Any combination of the above is also included within the scope of computer-readable media.
[0064] As used herein, unless otherwise specified, the use of ordinal numbers such as “first,” “second,” “third,” etc., to describe ordinary objects merely indicates different instances of similar objects and is not intended to imply that the objects being described must have a given order in time, space, ordering, or any other manner.
[0065] Although the invention has been described with reference to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand from the foregoing description that other embodiments are conceivable within the scope of the invention described herein. Furthermore, it should be noted that the language used in this specification has been chosen primarily for readability and instructional purposes, and not for the purpose of interpreting or limiting the subject matter of the invention. Therefore, many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. The disclosure of the invention is illustrative and not restrictive, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.
[0066] Finally, it should be noted that this invention does not explain in detail the common knowledge recognized by those skilled in the art. The above description is only a specific embodiment of this invention and is not intended to limit this invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this invention should be included within the protection scope of this invention.
Claims
1. A muon detector, characterized in that, It includes a first scintillator layer, a second scintillator layer, and a third scintillator layer; the first scintillator layer includes multiple annular first scintillators stacked vertically in a cylindrical shape; the second scintillator layer includes multiple long strip-shaped second scintillators spirally and tightly wound around the outer wall of the first scintillator layer, with each second scintillator wound multiple times around the outer wall of the first scintillator layer; the third scintillator layer includes multiple long strip-shaped third scintillators extending vertically, with the multiple third scintillators distributed circumferentially along the outer wall of the second scintillator layer.
2. A muon localization method, applicable to the muon detector of claim 1, characterized in that, The method includes: S1. Determine the azimuth of the point of impact based on the serial number of the third scintillator hit by the muon; S2. Determine the set of candidate values for the axial position of the impact point based on the azimuth of the impact point, the serial number of the second scintillator hit by the muon, and the length of the muon detector; determine the initial axial position of the impact point based on the serial number of the first scintillator hit by a single muon. S3. Take the candidate value in the set of candidate axial positions that is closest to the initially selected axial position as the final axial position of the hitting point; S4. Determine the spatial coordinates of the impact point based on the azimuth and final axial position of the impact point.
3. The muon localization method according to claim 2, characterized in that: In step S2, the set of candidate axial position values includes those that satisfy the condition All candidate solutions; where, Candidate values for axial position. It is an integer. The length of the muon detector; ; The azimuth of the point of impact. For the first The initial phase of the second scintillator at the reference position; The value is the chiral parameter for the helix; for a positive helix, it is +1, and for a negative helix, it is -1. The spiral angular velocity, , The number of turns of the second scintillator.
4. The muon localization method according to claim 2, characterized in that: In step S1, when a single muon simultaneously hits multiple adjacent third scintillators, energy weighting is performed based on the signal amplitudes of the multiple simultaneously hit third scintillators, and the azimuth of the hit point is determined using the charge centroid method.
5. A method for reconstructing muon tracks, characterized in that, The method includes: determining the muon track based on the spatial coordinates of the incident point and the exit point; the spatial coordinates of the incident point and the exit point are determined by the muon positioning method according to any one of claims 2-4.
6. A computer device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory, characterized in that, The processor executes the computer program to implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 2-5.
7. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program or instructions stored thereon, characterized in that, When the computer program / instructions are executed by the processor, they implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 2-5.
8. A computer program product, comprising a computer program or instructions, characterized in that, When the computer program / instructions are executed by the processor, they implement the steps of the method according to any one of claims 2-5.