Charged Particle Tomography Using Cosmic-Ray Muons
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current detection methods for nuclear materials and contraband at security checkpoints are limited by their reliance on artificial radiation, which can be shielded, and lack the ability to effectively discriminate between materials without causing radiation dose exposure.
Innovation Solution
A charged particle tomography system utilizing cosmic-ray produced charged particles, such as muons, to measure energy loss and reconstruct three-dimensional distributions of materials within a volume, allowing for non-destructive inspection and detection of nuclear materials and contraband without additional radiation exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If artificial radiation is used for detection, then detection capability is improved, but radiation dose exposure increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system utilizes naturally occurring cosmic-ray produced charged particles (muons and electrons) as the detection source, eliminating the need for artificial radiation sources. These cosmic particles continuously bombard the Earth's atmosphere and can penetrate through objects being inspected, providing a radiation-free detection method that maintains measurement capability without exposing objects to harmful artificial radiation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces cosmic-ray produced charged particles as an intermediary detection medium. These particles serve as a natural probe that interacts with the material being inspected through Coulomb scattering and energy loss mechanisms, enabling detection without direct use of artificial radiation sources. The charged particles act as a mediator between the detection system and the target object.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If shielding materials are used to block radiation, then radiation protection is improved, but detection performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the shielding effect, which normally blocks detection signals, into a beneficial detection mechanism. By measuring the energy loss and scattering of cosmic-ray produced charged particles as they penetrate through shielded and unshielded nuclear materials, the system can actually detect and identify shielding materials and the materials they protect. The shielding materials cause measurable differences in particle energy loss and scattering patterns.
3Measurement precision
If material discrimination is improved, then detection accuracy is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical or artificial radiation-based detection systems with a simpler system that measures the natural interactions of cosmic-ray produced charged particles with matter. By utilizing the inherent Coulomb scattering and energy loss properties of charged particles interacting with different materials, the system achieves material discrimination through measurement of physical interaction patterns rather than through complex mechanical or electronic systems.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables the cost-effective detection of shielded and unshielded nuclear materials and objects with high atomic numbers, providing precise tomographic images and material identification in real-time, while maintaining a passive and radiation-free detection process.
Implementation Method 1
Coulomb scattering from atomic nuclei in a matter results in a very large number of small angle deflections of charged particles as the transit the matter. The total deflection depends on several material properties, but the dominant effect is the atomic number, Z, of nuclei.
Implementation Method 2
Such cosmic ray-produced particles slowly lose energy through electromagnetic interactions. As a charged particle such as a muon moves through material, Coulomb scattering off of the charges of sub-atomic particles perturb its trajectory.
Data Source
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AI summary
Techniques, apparatus and systems for obtaining tomographic images of a volume of interest by using charged particle tomography detection systems.