A Noninvasive Muonography-Based Method for Exploration of Cultural Heritage Objects

An innovative noninvasive method of muonography based on emulsion detectors has been developed. The new method enables detection of changes in the fluxes of atmospheric muons passing through the object under study and determination of the specific features of its internal structure. Owing to the use of the state-of-the-art automated scanning facilities, large-scale studies of natural and industrial objects can be carried out that require processing of large quantity of photoemulsion. A major muonography experiment, in which the internal structure of buildings and the territory of the Svyato-Troitsky Danilov Monastery had been examined, is described in detail.