The new method is already being used to study the Egyptian pyramids and the temple in Derbent.
Original plastic films will allow you to look inside various natural or architectural objects, where it is impossible to get in the usual way. Russian scientists were able to catch streams of special particles (muons) that are able to pass through space, changing the trajectory of movement depending on the obstacles in their path. After studying films with traces of muons, the internal configuration of objects becomes clear. The new method is used in the study of an ancient temple in Dagestan Derbent. The structure is underground in an emergency condition. There is a version that this is the oldest cult Christian building in the country. Due to the lower cost, the Russian development can press out Japanese counterparts on the world market.
Silver jelly
The property of cosmic particles to linger due to various obstacles in buildings or natural objects opens up opportunities for studying their internal structure. This feature is the scientists of the Research Institute of Nuclear Physics. D. V. Skobeltsyn Moscow State University and the Physics Institute. P. N. Lebedev RAS was used to create a method involving the use of special plates capable of responding to muons flying through them. At the same time, it was decided to use a nuclear emulsion produced by a Russian company as a material sensitive to the ingress of particles.
- The development is a plastic film with layers of nuclear emulsion applied to it - this is a very highly sensitive material, similar to a jelly-like mass, consisting of gelatin and silver, - said Yulia Berezkina, head of KhSP Mikron (part of JSC Slavich Company - developer emulsion). - When passing through it, particles leave their traces in the structure of the material (the so-called tracks), by the number and direction of which scientists can judge the characteristics of the objects under study.
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One of the main advantages of the developed method of muon tomography is ease of use in the field.
- A block of several ready-made plates must be installed in front of the studied area (for example, a section of the wall, behind which, perhaps, another room is located) so that the rays passing through it fall on the surface of the film, - the senior researcher of the laboratory of theoretical and experimental research of interaction and transfer of radiation in various media Alexander Managadze. - In this case, the detail and the area of the investigated space can be adjusted by changing the distance between the plates and the object.
After installing the detector, it is left alone for several months, and then the used films are sent for further processing, within which the development process takes place. At the final stage of the study, their surfaces are scanned using high-speed microscopes, which transmit the information received to a computer system for subsequent processing and transformation into an image of the object under study.
- The advantage of our method of muon tomography is that, unlike hardware methods, it does not require the use of bulky equipment. In addition, the images obtained with its help have a tens of times higher resolution, which allows viewing smaller objects on them, the expert added.
Tests of the detecting plates were carried out in Obninsk (Kaluga region), where they successfully explored a local geophysical mine. As a result of the experiment, the real geometrical parameters of the shaft completely coincided with the image obtained by analyzing the films, which confirmed the effectiveness of the practical use of the plates.
Pyramid and "secret" rooms
At present, the only alternative to domestic materials for muon tomography are those made in Japan. However, according to scientists, the Russian development will be several times more affordable with comparable characteristics (the price itself has not yet been disclosed). In addition, Japanese manufacturers supply their products only if their further use is controlled.
After Russian materials enter the international market, their low price and the absence of restrictions on their applicability can become significant competitive advantages in relation to products from the Land of the Rising Sun.
Now with the help of Japanese plates, in particular, studies of the Egyptian pyramids are carried out, aimed at finding hidden rooms. According to some archaeologists, the discovery of "secret" rooms in the future may lead to new scientific discoveries and the acquisition of ancient artifacts.
Derbent mystery
Now the Russian development is actively involved in the archaeological research of an ancient structure in Derbent, which is completely hidden underground. Based on the results of the study, an end can be put on the issue of its original purpose - it causes a lot of controversy in the scientific community.
Archaeologists have established that the cruciform object on the territory of the Naryn-Kala fortress was previously used as a storage for drinking water. However, many scholars believe that it was originally built as a Christian temple.
“Unfortunately, it was not possible to verify this version with the help of excavations due to the danger of collapse,” explained Alimurad Hajiyev, director of the Institute of Ecology and Sustainable Development of Dagestan State University. - Under these conditions, muon tomography turned out to be the optimal method of research, the results of which can indicate the possible presence of walled doors in the walls of the building (they should differ in density from the main material), as well as provide information about additional rooms that may be outside the boundaries of the investigated area. Ultimately, this should help us establish the original purpose of the object.
The measurements in the ancient structure were carried out using five detectors, four of which were directed along the studied perimeter, and the fifth was intended for studying the dome part. It is important to note that each of the detectors used was composed of nine stacks of plates with an area of 10x12 cm, which provided scientists with a fairly wide view of the underground space. Moreover, each stack included four plates.
- The composite structure of the detector is due to the fact that plates of standard sizes are easier to manufacture, and the use of several layers of the film makes it possible to increase the total thickness of the nuclear emulsion deposited on it. This makes it possible to more closely track the trajectories of cosmic particles,”explained Alexander Managadze.
At present, the films used in Derbent are already at the stage of laboratory study. According to archaeologists, when evidence appears that the structure had a cult purpose, it will be recognized as the oldest Christian temple in Russia, which may be about one and a half thousand years old.