MuGrid-v2: A novel scintillator detector for multidisciplinary applications

TL;DR

MuGrid-v2 is a cost-effective, high-resolution muon detector designed for multidisciplinary applications, demonstrated through outdoor muography experiments that successfully resolved architectural features.

Contribution

Developed MuGrid-v2, a novel scintillator detector combining a plastic scintillator with a light guide array, achieving millimeter-scale spatial resolution at reduced costs.

Findings

Achieved millimeter-scale spatial resolution in a 30cm x 30cm prototype.

Successfully monitored architectural features through outdoor muography.

Experimental results closely matched simulation predictions.

Abstract

Muography, traditionally recognized as a potent instrument for imaging the internal structure of gigantic objects, has initialized various interdisciplinary applications. As the financial and labor costs of muography detector development hinder their massive applications, we develop a novel muon detector called MuGrid by coupling a monolithic plastic scintillator with the light guide array in order to achieve competitive spatial resolution while substantially reducing production costs. For a prototype detector in 30 cm $\times$ 30 cm, the intrinsic spatial resolution has been optimized toward a millimeter scale. An outdoor field muography experiment was conducted to monitor two buildings for validation purposes. The test successfully resolved the geometric influence of architectural features based on the attenuation of muon flux in a good agreement between experimental results and the simulation prediction.