Space particles help detect uranium and manage nuclear material

(Credit: Dr János Korom via CC) 

Similar in structure and charge to electrons, muons are created when cosmic rays collide with the Earth’s atmosphere. Almost a decade ago, scientists from the National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) and Glasgow University discovered that these space particles interact differently with uranium than with other matter, scattering instead of passing straight through. Spin-out company Lynkeos was created to harness the discovery and turn it into a commercial product for the nuclear industry, potentially assisting decommissioning, detection and storage, and saving the sector millions of pounds.

“About 10,000 muons are hitting every square metre of the earth’s surface every minute,” said Dr Craig Shearer, project leader at NNL. “Dozens hit you every second and when they do, they pass straight through you – with almost no distinguishable deviation. This is not true when they hit uranium, however. Instead, they scatter.

“When we first looked at this in 2009, we thought we had a 50/50 chance of turning this idea into a product that could be commercialised for the nuclear industry. But the results surpassed expectations at every stage.”