1. The Irfu Micromegas telescope
&
muon activities
21/12/2015
Sébastien Procureur
CEA-Saclay

2. content Origin of muon activities at Irfu and detector evolution
Muographies with absorption with Micromegas
Other applications of muons under investigation
Perspectives

3. Origin of muon activities at Irfu
Instrumentation for fundamental physics…
→ a home made detector: the Micromegas (Giomataris et al., 1996)
→ several patents, last in 2012
New applications are emerging
→ More than 10 years of R&D, initiated for the needs of particle and nuclear physics
Nucleon structure (Compass, Clas12, EIC)
Exotic nuclei (MINOS)
+ particle physics (LHC/ATLAS)
+ anti-matter (ASACUSA)
+ dark matter (CAST)
+ neutrinos (T2K)
+ astrophysics (HARPO)
+ …

4. Micromegas and multiplexing
Micromegas (MPGD) : very precise detectors… but many electronic channels
→ cost
→ consumption
→ transportability
An innovative multiplexing pattern was developed at Irfu to reduce the electronics
« genetic multiplexing » (S. Procureur, R. Dupré, S. Aune, 2012) 1 2
→ ~ 15 times less electronics
n=61 with 1024 strips
50 cm
→ >95% efficiency in 2D!

5. Muographies with absorption
Historically the first applications of muons
Thickness of a mountain: George (1955)
Hidden chambers in Khephren pyramid: Alvarez (1970)
Volcanology: Nagamine (1995), Tanaka (2001), Diaphane collaboration (2008)
MPGDs offers the possibility
of highly performant telescopes
→ excellent spatial resolution
Tanaka et al.
Lesparre et al.
Image quality
Compact
Large acceptance (including open sky)
→ combined with multiplexing
Low consumption
Much cheaper
Easy to transport
→ cylindrical geometry
New applications (boreholes, mining)

6. Muographies with absorption
1st Micromegas telescope… also benefitting from Irfu elec. development
30 W of consumption
Self triggering elec. (CLAS12)
3.5 months experiment
Tested with solar boards

7. Muographies with absorption
1st Micromegas telescope… and validation of its performance
→ static
Image of scintillator telescope
with same lever arm
→ dynamic
Direct normalization with simultaneous open sky measurement
Online feedback of T (P) on the HV

8. Muographies with absorption
A long list of potential applications…
→ Arche (Greece) ?
HIP Institute
→ Scan Pyramid (Egypt)
→ Soil inspection
→ Civil engineering
Contacted by RATP to probe Paris underground
→ Others
Contacted by IAEA for catalyst monitoring

9. Tomography with deviation
Muon imager for homeland security (470 k€ grant from )
Smaller setup for scientific
communication: TomoMu
Interactive
Designed to provide a reconstruction
of a pattern within 20’ (simulations) 2’
10’
30’
Applications for imaging with longer acquisition times
Not neutrons, not X-rays…
just free muons,
with a transportable setup
« Muona Lisa »

10. Muon metrology New class of applications
Use the straight (on average!) propagation of muons for positioning
Already mentioned in the literature, e.g. Zenoni (20014)
Can measure building deformations
Zenoni
Free (≠ laser)
Continuous (≠ laser)
Autonomous (≠ laser)
Work even between obstacles (roof, wall) (≠ laser)
Simulation of performance:
→ Requires spatial resolution < 0.3 mm to provide mm
accuracy/day at m distance
→ 0.5 m of concrete wall marginally degrades the resolution
MPGD technology
Countless cases of applications

11. → May be deployed in Egypt in 2016 (Scan Pyramids)
perspectives
Telescope soon operational again (January)
→ May be deployed in Egypt in 2016 (Scan Pyramids)
→ Looking for funds to build a 2nd telescope
Discussions with IPN-L for hybrid telescopes (Scintillators + Micromegas)
→ combined time resolution from Sci and spatial resolution from MM
Detectors fabrication (finally) mastered by a PCB company in France
→ First 2 detectors recently delivered: one fully tested in cosmics, one tested electrically