The use of muon radiography in safeguarding geological repositories

Abstract

Abstract. Muon radiography is a technique that harnesses naturally occurring cosmic radiation to noninvasively determine the density of an object of interest. The technique has many similarities to that of medical X-ray examinations and can supply detailed density maps of the object. We propose the application of muon radiography to aspects of the long-term monitoring of nuclear waste. In particular, muon radiography would provide valuable information on the overburden of a prospective underground geological repository and would be able to identify unknown features, such as undocumented underground passages. Similarly, muon tomography is capable of confirming that containers that have nominally been emptied are in fact empty. Such safeguard measures are important to maintain continuity of knowledge and to develop robust deterrent strategies against the removal of monitored nuclear material. The presentation focuses on the results of simulations that address some of these questions. Details of assumptions regarding the detector requirements and run times necessary to perform the imaging are discussed and results from the various removal and misuse scenarios are presented.