PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

First images of muon beams

The quality of muon beams can now be assessed thanks to a new technique that has produced the first known images of these high-energy particles.

First images of muon beams
2021-02-03
(Press-News.org) A new technique has taken the first images of muon particle beams. Nagoya University scientists designed the imaging technique with colleagues in Osaka University and KEK, Japan and describe it in the journal Scientific Reports. They plan to use it to assess the quality of these beams, which are being used more and more in advanced imaging applications.

Muons are charged particles that are 207 times the mass of electrons. They naturally form when cosmic rays strike atoms in the upper atmosphere, showering down onto every part of Earth's surface. They can penetrate through hundreds of meters of solids before being absorbed.

Scientists have used naturally occurring muon particles as a way to peek through huge solid structures. For example, in 2017 scientists announced they had found a hidden chamber inside the Khufu Pyramid of Giza by comparing the muon intensities measured by detectors located inside and outside the pyramid. Particle accelerator facilities can now also generate muon beams, which are used in a variety of applications, like non-destructive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. Muon beams are also expected to be adapted for cancer radiotherapy.

Nagoya University biomedical nuclear scientist Seiichi Yamamoto and colleagues developed a new imaging technique that they say shows promise for quality assessment and research of muon beams, and should be of benefit for muon radiotherapy in the future.

The technique depends on a phenomenon that occurs when charged particles travel through transparent media, like water. Water slows light down relative to high-energy particles. Particles moving faster than light cause something similar to the sonic boom we hear when a jet plane breaks through the sound barrier. In the case of the particles, an 'optical boom', called the Cherenkov effect, causes a brief flash.

Yamamoto and his colleagues imaged this effect with a special camera when a muon beam was directed through water or a plastic scintillator block. The technique allowed them to image muons and the positrons that form when muons decay. This helped them measure the beam's range through the water or plastic scintillator, and the deviation of its momentum, as well as clarify the direction of positron movement.

"The system is compact, low cost and easy to use, showing promise as a tool for quality assessment in muon beam facilities," says Yamamoto.

INFORMATION:

The study, "Optical imaging of muons," was published in the journal Scientific Reports on November 26, 2020, at DOI:10.1038/s41598-020-76652-8.

About Nagoya University, Japan

Nagoya University has a history of about 150 years, with its roots in a temporary medical school and hospital established in 1871, and was formally instituted as the last Imperial University of Japan in 1939. Although modest in size compared to the largest universities in Japan, Nagoya University has been pursuing excellence since its founding. Six of the 18 Japanese Nobel Prize-winners since 2000 did all or part of their Nobel Prize-winning work at Nagoya University: four in Physics - Toshihide Maskawa and Makoto Kobayashi in 2008, and Isamu Akasaki and Hiroshi Amano in 2014; and two in Chemistry - Ryoji Noyori in 2001 and Osamu Shimomura in 2008. In mathematics, Shigefumi Mori did his Fields Medal-winning work at the University. A number of other important discoveries have also been made at the University, including the Okazaki DNA Fragments by Reiji and Tsuneko Okazaki in the 1960s; and depletion forces by Sho Asakura and Fumio Oosawa in 1954.
Website: http://en.nagoya-u.ac.jp/


[Attachments] See images for this press release:
First images of muon beams

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Blink! The link between aerobic fitness and cognition

Blink! The link between aerobic fitness and cognition
2021-02-03
Tsukuba, Japan - Although exercise is known to enhance cognitive function and improve mental health, the neurological mechanisms of this link are unknown. Now, researchers from Japan have found evidence of the missing link between aerobic fitness and cognitive function. In a study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, researchers from the University of Tsukuba revealed that spontaneous eye blink rate (sEBR), which reflects activity of the dopamine system, could be used to understand the connection between cognitive function and aerobic fitness. The dopaminergic system is known to be involved in physical activity and exercise, and previous researchers have proposed that exercise-induced changes in cognitive function might be mediated by activity ...

Dynamics of radiocesium in forests after the Fukushima disaster: Concerns and some hope

Dynamics of radiocesium in forests after the Fukushima disaster: Concerns and some hope
2021-02-03
After the Chernobyl disaster of 1986, the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (FDNPP) disaster was the second worst nuclear incident in history. Its consequences were tremendous for the Japanese people and now, almost a decade later, they can still be felt both there and in the rest of the world. One of the main consequences of the event is the release of large amounts of cesium-137 (137Cs)--a radioactive "isotope" of cesium--into the atmosphere, which spread farther away from the power plant through wind and rainfall. Considering the massive threat posed by 137Cs to the health of both humans and ecosystems, it is essential to understand how it has distributed and how much of it still lingers. This is why the ...

In vitro study helps explain how Zika virus passes from mother to fetus during pregnancy

In vitro study helps explain how Zika virus passes from mother to fetus during pregnancy
2021-02-03
Tampa, FL (Feb. 3, 2021) -- A preclinical study by a END ...

Mailing it in: Getting the word out on getting the ballots in

2021-02-03
The coronavirus pandemic forced states across the nation to transform the way their residents voted in 2020, ramping up get-out-the-vote messaging and allowing for more people than ever to vote by mail. But what's the best way to let residents know about new voting rules? And how much does something like voting by mail increase voter turnout overall? Political scientists Daniel Hopkins and Marc Meredith looked at these questions during Philadelphia's 2020 primary, and worked with city officials to run an experiment to see whether an inexpensive postcard campaign about mail-in voting would be effective. They partnered with Anjali Chainani, Nathaniel Olin, and Tiffany ...

New research investigates relationship between health literacy and self-care

New research investigates relationship between health literacy and self-care
2021-02-03
It is important for patients to understand the information they need for making health decisions, yet studies have shown that a large segment of the population lacks the health literacy to do so. Health literacy refers to capacity of people to obtain, process, and understand health information needed for making health decisions. A researcher in the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is addressing this topic. "Many people have inadequate health literacy to support them in understanding health information and/or performing basic self-care activities," said Assistant ...

What impact does Airbnb have on local housing prices and rents?

2021-02-03
Key Takeaways: Airbnb does have an impact on housing prices and rents. Impact is stronger in areas with fewer owner-occupiers, such as vacation destination towns. Airbnb contributes to an increase in the supply of short-term rentals, while decreasing the long-term supply of rentals. CATONSVILLE, MD, February 2, 2021 - According to new research, the presence of an Airbnb property can actually contribute to an increase in housing prices and rental rates in a local neighborhood. But it depends on where the property is located. The study sought to assess the impact of home-sharing on residential house prices and ...

Neurons: 'String of lights' indicates excitation propagation

Neurons: String of lights indicates excitation propagation
2021-02-03
A type of novel molecular voltage sensor makes it possible to watch nerve cells at work. The principle of the method has been known for some time. However, researchers at the University of Bonn and the University of California in Los Angeles have now succeeded in significantly improving it. It allows the propagation of electrical signals in living nerve cells to be observed with high temporal and spatial resolution. This enables investigations into completely new questions that were previously closed to research. The study has now been published in the journal PNAS. When we smell a bottle of suntan lotion, electrical pulses ...

Load-reducing backpack powers electronics by harvesting energy from walking

Load-reducing backpack powers electronics by harvesting energy from walking
2021-02-03
Hikers, soldiers and school children all know the burden of a heavy backpack. But now, researchers have developed a prototype that not only makes loads feel about 20% lighter, but also harvests energy from human movements to power small electronics. The new backpack, reported in ACS Nano, could be especially useful for athletes, explorers and disaster rescuers who work in remote areas without electricity, the researchers say. Backpacks are widely used in everyday life for the hands-free carrying of loads. Over time, however, walking or running with a heavy sack can cause back and neck pain. Also, backpackers ...

Urban agriculture in Chicago does not allow consumers to rely solely on local food

2021-02-03
Environmentally conscious consumers try to "buy local" when food shopping. Now, a study of food raised around Chicago has shown that buying local can't provide all necessary nutrients for area residents, though it could fulfill their needs if some nutrients were supplied as supplements. The researchers report in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology that urban agriculture made little difference in reducing overall land area, and thus distance, required to supply all nutritional needs. As the U.S. population continues to flow to urban regions, consumers are moving farther from farms and croplands. This limits nutrient recycling and drives up emissions associated with transporting ...

Standard water treatment technique removes and inactivates an enveloped virus

Standard water treatment technique removes and inactivates an enveloped virus
2021-02-03
Enveloped viruses have been detected in raw sewage and sludge, but scientists still don't fully understand the fate and infectivity of these viruses during water purification at treatment plants. Now, researchers reporting in ACS' Environmental Science & Technology have discovered that a standard water treatment technique, called iron (III) coagulation, and its electrically driven counterpart, iron (0) electrocoagulation, can efficiently remove and inactivate a model enveloped virus. Enveloped viruses have an outer coating of lipids and proteins that helps protect their genetic material. Typically, disrupting this coat inactivates the virus. Until now, most studies have investigated ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Pink skies

Monkeys are world’s best yodellers - new research

Key differences between visual- and memory-led Alzheimer’s discovered

% weight loss targets in obesity management – is this the wrong objective?

An app can change how you see yourself at work

NYC speed cameras take six months to change driver behavior, effects vary by neighborhood, new study reveals

New research shows that propaganda is on the rise in China

Even the richest Americans face shorter lifespans than their European counterparts, study finds

Novel genes linked to rare childhood diarrhea

New computer model reveals how Bronze Age Scandinavians could have crossed the sea

Novel point-of-care technology delivers accurate HIV results in minutes

Researchers reveal key brain differences to explain why Ritalin helps improve focus in some more than others

Study finds nearly five-fold increase in hospitalizations for common cause of stroke

Study reveals how alcohol abuse damages cognition

Medicinal cannabis is linked to long-term benefits in health-related quality of life

Microplastics detected in cat placentas and fetuses during early pregnancy

Ancient amphibians as big as alligators died in mass mortality event in Triassic Wyoming

Scientists uncover the first clear evidence of air sacs in the fossilized bones of alvarezsaurian dinosaurs: the "hollow bones" which help modern day birds to fly

Alcohol makes male flies sexy

TB patients globally often incur "catastrophic costs" of up to $11,329 USD, despite many countries offering free treatment, with predominant drivers of cost being hospitalization and loss of income

Study links teen girls’ screen time to sleep disruptions and depression

Scientists unveil starfish-inspired wearable tech for heart monitoring

Footprints reveal prehistoric Scottish lagoons were stomping grounds for giant Jurassic dinosaurs

AI effectively predicts dementia risk in American Indian/Alaska Native elders

First guideline on newborn screening for cystic fibrosis calls for changes in practice to improve outcomes

Existing international law can help secure peace and security in outer space, study shows

Pinning down the process of West Nile virus transmission

UTA-backed research tackles health challenges across ages

In pancreatic cancer, a race against time

Targeting FGFR2 may prevent or delay some KRAS-mutated pancreatic cancers

[Press-News.org] First images of muon beams
The quality of muon beams can now be assessed thanks to a new technique that has produced the first known images of these high-energy particles.