Feasibility study of muon tomography application in a non-invasive representation of tumulus

Abstract

Within the frame of the EKATϒ programme, whose purpose is the innovative imaging of the subsurface of archaeological sites and the interior of structural elements of monuments in “three” and “four” dimensions, the applicability of Muon Tomography technique in the representation of a tumulus is tested in the present work. The scanning of its internal structure is accomplished by measuring the flux deficit of cosmic muon tracks in the presence of an object inside the tumulus, compared to the muon flux when traversing a uniform tumulus (transmission muography). The feasibility study of the method is achieved with a simulation of the tumulus geometry and the structure under investigation. Following the simulation process, a tracking telescope, consisting of four MicroMegas detectors and two trigger plastic scintillators, will be placed near Apollonia’s tumulus to collect data. For the specific latitude where the Apollonia’s tumulus is located, the energy and angular muon distribution at sea level is studied. Implementing the dimensions of the telescope in the simulation, the back-projection method is examined for the localization of the hidden object and the estimation of its dimensions. The method is tested for the telescope optimal position, placed under the tumulus, and the realistic one, placed near the tumulus at the level of its base.