Non-destructive 3D elemental imaging by muonic X-ray measurement with CdTe-DSD in J-PARC

I-Huan Chiu^1*, Takahito Osawa¹, Kazuhiko Ninomiya², Shin’ichiro Takeda^3,4, Tadayuki Takahashi^4,11, Miho Katsuragawa⁵, Shin Watanabe⁶, Kenya Kubo⁷, Tsutomu Saito⁸, Kazumi Mizumoto⁹, Akihiro Taniguchi¹⁰, Izumi Umegaki¹¹, Koichiro Shimomura¹¹

¹Materials Sciences Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Japan
²Natural Science Center for Basic Research and Development, Hiroshima University, Japan
³Fukushima Institute for Research, F-REI, Japan
⁴Kavli Institute for the Physics and Mathematics of the Universe, University of Tokyo, Japan
⁵Graduate School of Science, Division of Physics and Astronomy, Kyoto University, Japan
⁶Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, Japan
⁷International Christian University, Japan
⁸National Museum of Japanese History, Japan
⁹Tokyo University of the Arts, Japan
¹⁰Institute for Integrated Radiation and Nuclear Science, Kyoto University, Japan
¹¹High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, Japan

* Presenter:I-Huan Chiu, email:chiu.ihuan@jaea.go.jp

We present a non-destructive three-dimensional (3D) elemental imaging method based on muonic X-rays measurement using a cadmium telluride double-sided strip detector (CdTe-DSD). Conventional X-ray fluorescence is limited to surface characterization due to self-absorption of the sample. The negative muons can penetrate deeper into samples, forming muonic atoms that emit high-energy X-rays with minimal self-absorption. Our system integrates four CdTe-DSDs with pinhole collimators to acquire projection images at 12 measurement angles, which are then reconstructed into 3D volumetric phantom. Experiments at J-PARC validated this approach with an archaeological object of Edo-period crucible. In particular, the 3D distribution of silicon and oxygen within the ceramic body of an Edo-period crucible was successfully reconstructed. These results demonstrate the feasibility of muonic X-ray imaging with CdTe-DSDs for non-destructive elemental analysis in cultural heritage and material sciences.

Keywords: Muonic X-rays, CdTe-DSD, Non-destructive 3D elemental imaging