Lawrence Livermore Taps High-Power Lasers to Advance Muon Imaging
LIVERMORE, Calif., Oct. 27, 2023 — Scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) National Ignition Facility (NIF) are leading an initiative that will use high-power lasers to accelerate the time needed to capture muon images. Muons are naturally occurring subatomic particles that can penetrate very dense material far deeper than x-rays. As a result, muon imaging enables scientists to capture images of nuclear reactors, volcanoes, tsunamis, and hurricanes. The process, however, is slow; due to the