Slashdot Mirror
Particle Physics To Aid Nuclear Cleanup
mdsolar sends this report from Symmetry Magazine:
Cosmic rays can help scientists do something no one else can: safely image the interior of the nuclear reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant. ... [M]uon tomography is similar to taking an X-ray, only it uses naturally produced muons. These particles don't damage the imaged materials and, because they already stream through everything on Earth, they can be used to image even the most sensitive objects. Better yet, a huge amount of shielding is needed to stop muons from passing through an object, making it nearly impossible to hide from muon tomography. ... By determining how muons scatter as they interact with electrons and nuclei within the item, the team's software creates a three-dimensional picture of what's inside. ... To prove the technology, the Los Alamos team shipped a demo detector system to a small, working nuclear reactor in a Toshiba facility in Kawasaki, Japan. There, they placed one detector on either side of the reactor core. "When we analyzed our data we discovered that in addition to the fuel in the reactor core, they had put a few fuel bundles off to the side that we didn't know about," says Morris. "They were really impressed that not only could we image the core, but that we also found those bundles."
Impressive series of images in the article showing how they get clear data after about four weeks.
Uhhhh... did they just admit to not keeping track of where they've been keeping nuclear fuel rods?
I'm normally pretty mean to particle physicists, but this gear seems pretty nifty. More good info about something is rarely a bad thing.
These particles don't damage the imaged materials and, because they already stream through everything on Earth
That is some bullshit and whoever wrote this summary must be joking.
Muons are produced by high energy collision in the upper atmosphere. Muons (heavy form electrons) can have more than 1 TeV energy. To say "the don't damage anything" is the most retarded statement in the world. They are one of THE principal reasons for cosmic radiation at ground level. If people were transparent, you could detect 1+ muon exploding inside you. And you'd also see a nice trail of ionized flesh along its entire path.
How do I know? I've measured muons in my undergrad physics class. We used a few centimeters of lead to stop them (ones with specific energy rage, of course) and then measure their lifetime.
Fun tidbit - it's one example of Special Relativity that we can detect them at ground level at all.
Anyway, getting back to the damaging bits, they are much more dangerous than any few Bq of Cesium you eat. But hey, "natural radiation" can't be bad! Only the stuff people make must be, right? right? Too bad there is no difference.
I get the feeling there's a superhero origin story somewhere in all this "Let's bombard active nuclear fuel rods with muons and see what happens".
You are welcome on my lawn.
As usual, please do not use Slashdot summaries for your physics education.
You know it's time for the next revolution when your rulers' names end with roman numerals.
Just carelessness?
No. Just another anti-nuke FUD summary by mdsolar. The operators of the reactor know the bundle was there, they waited to see if the experimenters would find it.
> No. Just another anti-nuke FUD summary by mdsolar
And this is just another example of reading comprehension problems on the part of the mdhaters.
> The operators of the reactor know the bundle was there, they waited to see if the experimenters would find it.
Yes, that is *exactly what it says* in the *direct quote from the source*. I'm sorry you have so much trouble parsing this and confused it with something mdsolar created that implied something different. I understand ASL courses are quite inexpensive.