US scientists capture fleeting muons with new mobile detector

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have developed a new mobile muon detector that significantly enhances imaging capabilities for dense, shielded materials such as spent nuclear fuel. Inspired by a neutron detector designed over a decade ago for the Spallation Neutron Source, this device uniquely captures both muon energy and scattering angles in real time, improving image quality beyond previous muon tomography systems that typically recorded only one parameter. The detector’s development involved interdisciplinary collaboration between ORNL’s Neutron Sciences and Fusion and Fission Energy and Sciences directorates and is set to be deployed for practical measurements later this year. Muons, fundamental particles that decay within microseconds, provide a non-destructive means to probe deep into matter, but their fleeting nature has made detection challenging. By adapting wavelength-shifting fiber technology from neutron detectors, the ORNL team overcame this limitation, enabling real-time capture of muon interactions. Beyond nuclear fuel monitoring, the detector is expected to