NON-DESTRUCTIVE IMAGING OF MAYA TEMPLE WITH COSMIC-RAY MUONS: 
RESEARCH PROJECT AT COPAN IN HONDURAS

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Kunihiro Morishima (Nagoya University)
Seiichi Nakamura (Kanazawa University) 
Akira Ichikawa (IAR, Nagoya University)
Nobuko Kitagawa (Nagoya University)
Mitsuaki Kuno (Nagoya University)
Yuta Manabe (Nagoya University)
Kotaro Hikata (Nagoya University)
Ami Sakakibara (Nagoya University) 
Akira Nishio (Nagoya University)

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We are developing cosmic-ray imaging with nuclear emulsions. This technique is similar to X-ray imaging used for medical checkup. Cosmic-ray contains high energetic fundamental particle called muon. Cosmic-ray muons can penetrate thick rock. By detection of penetrating cosmic-rays to imaging object, we can take transparent image of object. We applied this technology to the Khufu’s pyramid at Cairo, Egypt. As a result, we discovered a big void in center region of pyramid (Morishima et. al., Nature 552, 386 (2017)). 

We have applied cosmic-ray muon imaging to search for hidden spaces (especially chambers) in temples at Copan, Honduras since 2018. We installed films, which can detect cosmic-ray muons, in tunnels excavated in the temples and achieved images in upper area to films. In this presentation, we will present principle of cosmic-ray imaging and achieved results.

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(Talk in Japanese)