Space rays can help estimate hidden losses from war in Ukraine: what did scientists come up with

Subscribe not to miss the latest and most intrusive news from the world of science! Energy particles known as Muons occur as a result of the collision of protons and atomic nuclei, of which cosmic rays are made with molecules in the Earth's atmosphere. Muons exist only about 2 microseconds and then break up into electrons and antineutrin. At the same time, the Muons move at the speed of light, and therefore pass long distances during their existence.

About 10,000 muons falls per 1 square meters every second. m of the Earth's surface. In this case, the Muons penetrate deep into the ground tens of meters. Even in the last century, scientists have suggested that muonic detectors can be used to scan imperfect structures to see what is happening inside. But in the last 10 years this technology has gained considerable development.

Several companies around the world have made progress in the development of portable devices of muon tomography that can scan vehicles for smuggling, or look for cracks in automobile bridges or aging nuclear bridges. The Estonian company GSCAN has also succeeded in the development of portable muscle detectors and has already tested when scanning nuclear facilities in different countries.

The company plans to introduce its technology in Ukraine to help evaluate hidden cracks and faults in buildings and bridges that have arisen as a result of war, which can lead to the collapse of structures in the future. Andy Hector, the GSCAN co -founder, believes that there is no other technology that can look so effectively inside the concrete block and see its damage. The most powerful X -ray devices can look to a depth of 10 to 20 cm.

But muonic detectors make it possible to look at a depth of tens of meters. According to Hector, with the help of a muon detector, you can see what kind of damage exist deep inside the concrete structures. For example, it can be hidden cracks or cavities. When the muons approach the object, the sensor made of a special type of plastic fiber reveals their passage. Scientists can reconstruct the trajectory of motion of the Muona when they pass through each layer of fibers in different places.

The other detector, located on the other side of the concrete structure, then measures how the path of motion of the muon changed when the particles were scattered due to the existing damage inside the concrete block. This way you can get an idea of ​​the type of damage and its location inside the object. According to Hector, it is not really a very fast and time -consuming process. Muonic detectors can scan the concrete structure for a week and even a month.

For example, it will take up to 30 days to evaluate the damage to the car bridge, and the cost of this process can cost up to $ 125 thousand. GSCAN is currently negotiating with the Ukrainian Government to test the Paton Bridge Testing in Kiev. The bridge of 1543 meters long, which has existed for 70 years, was considered seriously damaged before the war. According to Hector, when the war is over, the authorities of Ukraine may want to apply this technology when restoring the country.

Not only does muon detectors see much deeper than other devices with X -ray light, but they are much safer. Muons do not damage cells and DNA, as they do even low doses of X -rays. Therefore, such detectors do not increase the risk of cancer in their operators. As the focus has already wrote, the first black holes crashed into the ground and this proof is hidden in ordinary objects.