Cosmic Rays: From Fundamental Symmetry Tests to Civil Applications
A special issue of Symmetry (ISSN 2073-8994). This special issue belongs to the section "Physics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2022) | Viewed by 7213
Special Issue Editors
Interests: particle physics; BSM physics; cosmic rays; muon tomography; muon radiography; cosmic-ray neutron sensing; machine-learning
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Symmetry lies at the foundation of nature. It pervades every area of physics and has successfully acted as a guiding principle in postulating the existence of new particles and interactions in the last century. In this context, the discovery of the cosmic radiation has played a crucial role: it has made the experimental verification of many of the theory’s predictions possible. Even today, despite the availability of high-energy particle colliders, cosmic rays still represent an invaluable probe to test fundamental principles in cosmology and particle physics, as well as to look for new physics. Examples include tests for violation of the Lorentz symmetry, and the related CPT symmetry, searches for dark matter candidates, and tests to probe fundamental interactions at ultra-high energies.
Cosmic rays have also been used beyond fundamental research since the mid-1950s, when E.P. George estimated the thickness of rock above an underground tunnel by measuring the flux attenuation of cosmic-ray (CR) muons. Since then, applications of CR muons have steadily grown in numbers, especially in recent decades. Imaging methods based on measurements of the flux attenuation and/or scattering angles of CR muons, collectively referred to as muography, have been successfully applied to many different fields requiring penetrating probes. Examples include the inspection or monitoring of large natural or civil structures, such as volcanoes or dams, the search for heavy metals in containers and trucks, the control of nuclear wastes, and studies on middle atmosphere dynamics. In addition to muon-based imaging, some authors have also investigated the possibility of using CR muons for the metrology of structures, such as historical buildings. This technique, generally referred to as muon metrology, is based on the measurement of how the relative alignment of a system of detectors, some integral to the structure of interest and others to the surrounding environment, evolves over time.
As the large number of applications mentioned above show, the research areas covered by this Special Issue are very active and growing, with still plenty of room for new ideas. We hereby solicit both review and research papers on recent advances in cosmic-ray physics and applications, including (but not limited to) the following topics:
- Cosmic rays as a probe for fundamental physics;
- Search for dark matter with cosmic rays;
- Extreme energy cosmic rays;
- Muography applications;
- Applications of muon metrology;
- Algorithms for muon imaging and metrology;
- Cosmic-ray muon generators;
- Muon detectors and detection systems for muography.
Prof. Dr. Davide Pagano
Guest Editor
Prof. Dr. Germano Bonomi
Co-Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- Cosmic rays
- Dark matter
- Extreme energy cosmic rays
- Muography
- Muon tomography
- Muon radiography
- Muon metrology
- Muon imaging algorithm
- Muon detector
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