Scientists at Tokyo University have developed a new navigation system that uses muons, which are subatomic particles produced by the collision of cosmic rays with the Earth’s atmosphere. These particles can help monitor volcanoes and locate individuals trapped under rubble. Muons are high-energy particles produced by sources outside our galaxy, such as the sun and supernovae. These particles, at Earth’s atmosphere, create secondary particles which include muons. Muons are capable of penetrating solid objects because they are 207 times heavier than electrons. The denser a material is, the more muons it absorbs.
The navigation system, called Muometric Wireless Navigation System (MUWNS), is made up of four detectors on the surface and one underground. The detectors identify the position of the underground detector through the time and direction of the muons passing through them. To synchronize the detectors, high-precision quartz clocks are used.
Scientists conducted an experiment at Tokyo University where they demonstrated that the MUWNS could accurately locate a person walking with the detector in their backpack along an underground corridor. The system could be used to monitor changes at the ocean’s floor or inside volcanoes. Researchers also believe that the system could be made smaller and built into smartphones.
A recent publication, “The first navigation using a wireless muonmeteric navigation system (MUWNS) in the premises and underground,” by Khiroyuki K.M. Tanaka et al. details the experiment conducted by the researchers at Tokyo University.