Posted: Nov 02, 2012 11:52 am
It uses muon scattering. Muons are a flavor of electron that is about 200 times more massive than an ordinary electron. That makes them dragged much less by the material that they pass through, meaning that they can pass through shielding material relatively easily.
The article does not mention how the muons are produced, since they have a mean lifetime of a few microseconds. I think that they'd be produced by a mini particle accelerator that shoots electrons at some target material. With enough energy, it will make pairs of muons, + and - ones.
The article does not mention how the muons are produced, since they have a mean lifetime of a few microseconds. I think that they'd be produced by a mini particle accelerator that shoots electrons at some target material. With enough energy, it will make pairs of muons, + and - ones.