In the realm of energy and environmental monitoring, a team of researchers from the University of Texas at Arlington has developed an innovative, cost-effective tool for measuring cosmic muons. Ishannita Banerjee, Swagato Banerjee, Douglas Jackson, and John Naber have created a portable, battery-powered muon detector that could have significant applications in the energy sector.
The researchers have designed a handheld device called CosmicWatch, which measures the flux of secondary muons produced when primary cosmic rays interact with Earth’s atmosphere. These muons are detected using plastic scintillators that generate light when muons pass through. This light is then converted into an electric signal by silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) sensors and processed by an Arduino-based acquisition system. The device records count rates corresponding to the cosmic muon flux.
The novel aspect of this work is the stacked geometry configuration of the detector. By using two scintillator modules wrapped together and read by two SiPM sensors, the researchers have improved signal purity. This setup operates in coincidence mode via linked Arduino microcontrollers, which helps to define a constrained solid angle and enables coincidence filtering. This reduces uncorrelated background noise and local electronic noise, enhancing the accuracy of the measurements.
The system was successfully deployed during the 2024 total solar eclipse, demonstrating stable field operation and reliable flux monitoring. The researchers have detailed the mechanical design, coincidence logic implementation, and performance characterization of the instrument in their study. The architecture is scalable, robust, and inexpensive, making it suitable for geographically distributed muon flux monitoring arrays.
One practical application for the energy sector could be in monitoring the integrity of large structures, such as nuclear waste storage facilities or underground energy storage sites. Muons can penetrate deep into the Earth, and by measuring the flux of these particles, it is possible to detect changes in density or composition within these structures. This could provide early warnings of potential failures or leaks.
Another potential application is in enhancing the safety and efficiency of nuclear power plants. Muon detectors could be used to monitor the condition of the reactor core and other critical components, providing real-time data that could help prevent accidents and optimize performance.
The research was published in the journal Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A, providing a valuable contribution to the field of energy monitoring and safety.
This article is based on research available at arXiv.