DISCRIMINATION OF LOW-ATOMIC WEIGHT MATERIALS USING SCATTERING AND STOPPING OF COSMIC-RAY ELECTRONS AND MUONS

摘要

Techniques, systems, and devices are disclosed for constructing a scattering and stopping relationship of cosmic-ray charged particles (including cosmic-ray electrons and/or cosmic-ray muons) over a range of low-atomic-mass materials, and to detect and identify content of a volume of interest (VOI) exposed to cosmic-ray charged particles based on the constructed scattering and stopping relationship. In one aspect, a process for constructing a scattering-stopping relationship for a range of low-density materials exposed to cosmic-ray charged particles is disclosed. This technique first determines a scattering parameter and a stopping parameter for each material within the range of low-density materials exposed to charged particles from cosmic ray. The technique then establishes a scattering-stopping relationship of cosmic ray charged particles for the range of low-density materials based on the determined pairs of scattering and stopping parameters associated with the range of low-density materials.

主权项

1. A method for identifying a scattering-stopping relationship for a range of low-density materials exposed to cosmic-ray charged particles, the method comprising:
exposing, at a charge particle detection system, the range of low-density materials located within a volume of interest (VOI) to cosmic ray charged particles; determining a scattering signal associated with a subset of the exposed cosmic ray charged particles entering the VOI, interacting with the range of low-density materials located within the VOI, and exiting the VOI; and determining a stopping power associated with a subset of the exposed cosmic ray charged particles entering the VOI, interacting with the range of low-density materials within the VOI, and stopping inside the VOI; and identifying a scattering-stopping relationship for the range of low-density materials based at least partly on the determined scattering signal and stopping power.