Sains Malaysiana 48(2)(2019): 377–383

http://dx.doi.org/10.17576/jsm-2019-4802-15

Investigation of Simple Portable Telescope Validity for Muon Detection Inside Metals

(Kajian Kesahihan Teleskop Mudah Alih untuk Mengesan Muon di dalam Logam)

RASHA N.I. ALTAMEEMI¹, NURUL SHAZANA ABDUL HAMID^1*, WAN MOHD AIMRAN WAN MOHD KAMIL¹, SAAD M. SALEH AHMED² & GERI GOPIR¹

¹School of Applied Physics, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM Bangi, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

²Deparment of Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory, Malaysia

Received: 14 April 2018/Accepted: 4 October 2018

ABSTRACT

Muons produced in the atmosphere by cosmic rays are preferred over gamma rays, X-rays and fast protons for the detection of metals in the study of radiography. An alternative method for metals detection involving portable and relatively cheap Geiger-Muller counters are proposed. The objective of this study was to investigate the validity of using a handmade muon telescope with a small solid angle for the detection of muons inside the metals. This experiment was carried out at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi (101.78º E, 2.92º N and elevation 30 m). Measurement of muons was conducted in the vertical direction using 1 set of muon telescopes (MT) consisting of coaxial Geiger-Muller (GM) counters. Different metals - lead (Pb), zinc (Zn) and aluminium (Al) - were used as absorbers with different thickness to observe its influence on the count rate of muons. The efficiency of the experimental setup was evaluated using statistical methods and by obtaining sufficient number of muon detection events to describe the physics of the muon interaction with the metals. Based on the Rossi curve obtained for each metal, the transition point was estimated as follows: 1.5 cm for Pb, 4.0 cm for Zn, and 9.0 cm for Al. The results showed that the proposed alternative setup was adequate for detecting muons and therefore have the potential to be further developed.

Keywords: Geiger-Muller counters; metal sheets; muon telescope; Rossi curve

ABSTRAK

Muon yang dihasilkan dalam atmosfera oleh sinar kosmik adalah lebih diutamakan daripada sinar gama, sinar-x dan proton berkelajuan tinggi sebagai pengesan logam dalam kajian radiografi. Satu kaedah alternatif untuk mengesan logam yang melibatkan penghitung Geiger-Muller mudah alih dan lebih murah dicadangkan. Objektif kajian ini adalah untuk mengkaji kesahihan menggunakan teleskop muon dengan sudut pejal yang kecil untuk pengesanan muon di dalam logam. Uji kaji ini telah dijalankan di Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi (101.78º E, 2.92º N pada ketinggian 30 m). Pengukuran muon telah dijalankan pada arah menegak menggunakan 1 set teleskop muon (TM) yang terdiri daripada sepaksi penghitung Geiger-Muller (GM). Logam berbeza seperti plumbum (Pb), zink (Zn) dan aluminium (Al) telah digunakan sebagai penyerap dengan ketebalan berbeza untuk melihat pengaruhnya terhadap kadar kiraan muon. Persediaan percubaan uji kaji dinilai menggunakan kaedah statistik dan dengan mendapatkan bilangan kejadian pengesanan muon yang mencukupi untuk menerangkan interaksi muon dengan logam. Berdasarkan lengkung Rossi yang diperoleh untuk setiap logam, titik peralihan dianggarkan seperti berikut: 1.5 cm untuk Pb, 4.0 cm bagi Zn dan 9.0 cm bagi Al. Keputusan menunjukkan bahawa persediaan alternatif yang dicadangkan mencukupi untuk mengesan muon dan berpotensi untuk dibangunkan.

Kata kunci: Kepingan logam; lengkung Rossi; penghitung Geiger-Muller; teleskop muon

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*Corresponding author; email: shazana.ukm@gmail.com