Three-dimensional muon imaging of cavities inside the Temperino mine (Italy)
Abstract Muon radiography (muography) is an imaging technique based on atmospheric muon absorption in matter that allows to obtain two and three-dimensional images of internal details of hidden objects or structures. The technique relies on atmospheric muon flux measurements performed around and und...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-26393-7 |
| _version_ | 1828087182049411072 |
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| author | Diletta Borselli Tommaso Beni Lorenzo Bonechi Massimo Bongi Debora Brocchini Nicola Casagli Roberto Ciaranfi Luigi Cimmino Vitaliano Ciulli Raffaello D’Alessandro Andrea Dini Catalin Frosin Giovanni Gigli Sandro Gonzi Silvia Guideri Luca Lombardi Massimiliano Nocentini Giulio Saracino |
| author_facet | Diletta Borselli Tommaso Beni Lorenzo Bonechi Massimo Bongi Debora Brocchini Nicola Casagli Roberto Ciaranfi Luigi Cimmino Vitaliano Ciulli Raffaello D’Alessandro Andrea Dini Catalin Frosin Giovanni Gigli Sandro Gonzi Silvia Guideri Luca Lombardi Massimiliano Nocentini Giulio Saracino |
| author_sort | Diletta Borselli |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Muon radiography (muography) is an imaging technique based on atmospheric muon absorption in matter that allows to obtain two and three-dimensional images of internal details of hidden objects or structures. The technique relies on atmospheric muon flux measurements performed around and underneath the object under examination. It is a non-invasive and passive technique and thus can be thought of as a valid alternative to common prospecting techniques used in archaeological, geological and civil security fields. This paper describes muon radiography measurements, in the context of archaeological and geological studies carried out at the Temperino mine (LI, Tuscany, Italy), for the search and three-dimensional visualisation of cavities. This mine has been exploited since Etruscan times until recently (1973), and is now an active tourist attraction with public access to the tunnels. Apart from the archaeological interest, the importance of mapping the cavities within this mine lies in identifying the areas where the extraction ores were found and also in the safety issues arising from the tourist presence inside the mine. The three-dimensional imaging is achieved with two different algorithms: one involving a triangulation of two or more measurements at different locations; the other, an innovative technique used here for the first time, is based on the back-projections of reconstructed muon tracks. The latter requires only a single muographic data tacking and is to be preferred in applications where more than one site location can be difficult to access. Finally the quality of the three-dimensional muographic imaging was evaluated by comparing the results with the laser scan profiles obtained for some known cavities within the Temperino mine. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T05:08:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-5cfc891072604f21bd4f799c69c3bd36 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T05:08:30Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-5cfc891072604f21bd4f799c69c3bd362022-12-25T12:12:16ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-12-0112111210.1038/s41598-022-26393-7Three-dimensional muon imaging of cavities inside the Temperino mine (Italy)Diletta Borselli0Tommaso Beni1Lorenzo Bonechi2Massimo Bongi3Debora Brocchini4Nicola Casagli5Roberto Ciaranfi6Luigi Cimmino7Vitaliano Ciulli8Raffaello D’Alessandro9Andrea Dini10Catalin Frosin11Giovanni Gigli12Sandro Gonzi13Silvia Guideri14Luca Lombardi15Massimiliano Nocentini16Giulio Saracino17Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of FlorenceINFN Florence DivisionINFN Florence DivisionDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of FlorenceParchi Val di Cornia S.p.A.Department of Earth Sciences, University of FlorenceINFN Florence DivisionDepartment of Physics Ettore Pancini, University of Naples Federico IIDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of FlorenceDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of FlorenceCNR, Institute of Geosciences and GeoresourcesDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of FlorenceDepartment of Earth Sciences, University of FlorenceDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of FlorenceParchi Val di Cornia S.p.A.Department of Earth Sciences, University of FlorenceDepartment of Earth Sciences, University of FlorenceDepartment of Physics Ettore Pancini, University of Naples Federico IIAbstract Muon radiography (muography) is an imaging technique based on atmospheric muon absorption in matter that allows to obtain two and three-dimensional images of internal details of hidden objects or structures. The technique relies on atmospheric muon flux measurements performed around and underneath the object under examination. It is a non-invasive and passive technique and thus can be thought of as a valid alternative to common prospecting techniques used in archaeological, geological and civil security fields. This paper describes muon radiography measurements, in the context of archaeological and geological studies carried out at the Temperino mine (LI, Tuscany, Italy), for the search and three-dimensional visualisation of cavities. This mine has been exploited since Etruscan times until recently (1973), and is now an active tourist attraction with public access to the tunnels. Apart from the archaeological interest, the importance of mapping the cavities within this mine lies in identifying the areas where the extraction ores were found and also in the safety issues arising from the tourist presence inside the mine. The three-dimensional imaging is achieved with two different algorithms: one involving a triangulation of two or more measurements at different locations; the other, an innovative technique used here for the first time, is based on the back-projections of reconstructed muon tracks. The latter requires only a single muographic data tacking and is to be preferred in applications where more than one site location can be difficult to access. Finally the quality of the three-dimensional muographic imaging was evaluated by comparing the results with the laser scan profiles obtained for some known cavities within the Temperino mine.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-26393-7 |
| spellingShingle | Diletta Borselli Tommaso Beni Lorenzo Bonechi Massimo Bongi Debora Brocchini Nicola Casagli Roberto Ciaranfi Luigi Cimmino Vitaliano Ciulli Raffaello D’Alessandro Andrea Dini Catalin Frosin Giovanni Gigli Sandro Gonzi Silvia Guideri Luca Lombardi Massimiliano Nocentini Giulio Saracino Three-dimensional muon imaging of cavities inside the Temperino mine (Italy) Scientific Reports |
| title | Three-dimensional muon imaging of cavities inside the Temperino mine (Italy) |
| title_full | Three-dimensional muon imaging of cavities inside the Temperino mine (Italy) |
| title_fullStr | Three-dimensional muon imaging of cavities inside the Temperino mine (Italy) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Three-dimensional muon imaging of cavities inside the Temperino mine (Italy) |
| title_short | Three-dimensional muon imaging of cavities inside the Temperino mine (Italy) |
| title_sort | three dimensional muon imaging of cavities inside the temperino mine italy |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-26393-7 |
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