Search for hidden chambers using cosmic-ray muons – Public lecture by Mark Adams

How can you locate hidden chambers inside a Mayan pyramid? Mark Adams and his colleagues are in the process of exploring the interior of Kukulcan’s pyramid at Chichén Itzá using particles called muons. In March 2022, he and his teammates travelled to Mexico to start the work.

The goal is to use cosmic-ray muons to map the interior of the pyramid. Cosmic-ray muons continuously hit the earth’s surface and can penetrate objects much deeper than x-rays. To “scan” the pyramid, the team first had to determine the exact size and location of the known spaces and tunnels in the pyramid and identify the best places for installing muon detectors. They discovered many interesting facts along the way. In this hour-long presentation, Mark Adams talks about this initial exploration and presents the team’s findings and next steps.

Mark Adams is an emeritus professor at the University of Illinois Chicago and member of the Office of Education and Public Engagement at Fermilab. Through the QuarkNet program, he works with high school science teachers to set up cosmic-ray experiments at their schools.

The Kukulcan pyramid team involves seven colleagues from Chicago State University, Dominican University, University of Virginia, University of Mexico and QuarkNet. Students from Chicago State University and University of Virginia participated in the trip to Mexico.

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[dwaynezilla]

Big thanks to the folks in Mexico who allowed and coordinated this. Very interesting!

[TedToal_TedToal]

There are a couple things I’m confused about. You said they filled it with rock. I think filled the chambers of the inner pyramid with rock in order to build the outer pyramid? But I didn’t understand whether or not that fill material was still there and had to be removed by current day archaeologists, or whether after building the outer pyramid they removed the fill material?
Also, you said something about them digging or mining through a tunnel. I didn’t understand exactly what that meant. Were you saying that some of those tunnels that you showed were actually solid or cemented rock and modern-day archaeologists tunnelled through it?
How were the pyramids stones held together, were they cemented together and if so with what?
Also, I don’t understand whether you’re making use of computed tomography computational techniques? If you were using that back propagation algorithm to reconstruct the 3-D interior, it would be nice for you to include a little bit of information about how that algorithm works, because as I recall it’s actually a fairly simple algorithm.

[dwaynezilla]

That inner chamber is so ominous, haha. I really hope there's more! It's so old and mysterious because of how these civilizations ended up collapsing

[cyndicorinne]

Very intriguing use of geometry and clever design to make the most of a relatively small size detector. Good luck next year, when you go to Chichén Itzá! 👩‍💻

[hmk]

Very good presentation and good information

[blurfs]

My friend H. A Stevens began the Maya Muon Project at University of Texas at Austin. In the early 21st century, I went with him many times to the UT Physics Lab to change tapes on a SPARC computer processing data from those muon measuring sensors. "H" died in 2015 returning from a trip to Belize and the Yucatan Peninsula to set up the muon detectors.

[thomashenderson]

Fantastic! Can't wait to see the results.

[kricketflyd]

Will the geometry detail of this pyramid be available? 🪱

[dwaynezilla]

The quality of those scans is really good, such a win-win for the gov't and the researchers

[alexbradmckay]

Wonderful presentation. Thanks for that. I have to say though, unless I missed it, you were supposed to talk about the rocks that they used during the restoration and how it affected your research. That was something I was looking forward to learning about. Thanks again

[thyandyr]

Fascinating to see bit more deeper in to the detail than just averall principle

[onionbuskut]

Great job! Can’t wait to see more results and hope y’all get to go back, sounds like a fun group down there

[dwaynezilla]

Great lecture, looking forward to hearing more as the work progresses!

[_John_P]

Wouldn't ground penetrating radar provide a higher resolution of the interior of the pyramid by scanning the floors, walls and ceilings inside the pyramid?

[thekoening]

Pogchamp! Amazing really nice :D I love 3D picture truely facinating 5head

[emmanueluh]

It is possible to use your video and do a version in spanish this information is important ? Of course with all credits on your name. Please let me know. Thank you.

[michaelanderson]

IS THE MUON THE HEAVIER COUSIN OF THE ELECTRON?

[AlanYoungIII]

Have you considered a kickstart campaign? I'd buy into that.

[jimkennedy]

The NYT does not understand that no finding is a finding. In reference to the 1970's Muon Egyption pyramid experiment

[cofa]

Amazing topic and great way to apply science to help other fields of research, great job science !