The MURAVES experiment: study of the Vesuvius Great Cone with Muon Radiography

TL;DR

The MURAVES experiment uses muon radiography to image the internal structure of Mt. Vesuvius's summit, aiming to improve understanding of its eruptive potential by measuring rock density distribution.

Contribution

This study presents the design and initial data analysis of a muon radiography setup for imaging Vesuvius's summit, combining muon detection with background rejection techniques.

Findings

Initial data acquisition is underway.

Preliminary analysis shows feasibility of muographic imaging.

The apparatus can differentiate rock densities within the volcano.

Abstract

The MURAVES experiment aims at the muographic imaging of the internal structure of the summit of Mt. Vesuvius, exploiting muons produced by cosmic rays. Though presently quiescent, the volcano carries a dramatic hazard in its highly populated surroundings. The challenging measurement of the rock density distribution in its summit by muography, in conjunction with data from other geophysical techniques, can help the modeling of possible eruptive dynamics. The MURAVES apparatus consists of an array of three independent and identical muon trackers, with a total sensitive area of 3 square meters. In each tracker, a sequence of 4 XY tracking planes made of plastic scintillators is complemented by a 60 cm thick lead wall inserted between the two downstream planes to improve rejection of background from low energy muons. The apparatus is currently acquiring data. Preliminary results from the analysis of a first data sample are presented.