High-energy muon particles formed in the atmosphere have allowed scientists to study storm structures in ways that conventional visualization techniques, such as satellite imagery, cannot. This is the first time that this has been possible in these circumstances.
Thanks to this new technique, researchers are able to model storms and their associated meteorological impacts. It can also translate into more accurate early warning systems. Weather forecasts and early warning systems have always been important, but with improving storm activity this has become more critical.
A group of scientists, led by Professor Hiroyuki Tanaka of Muographix at the University of Tokyo, are bringing a new way to explore and detect tropical cyclones to the world of meteorology using a quirk of particle physics.
You’ve probably seen photographs of cyclones taken from above, showing swirling vortices of clouds. But I doubt you’ve ever seen a cyclone from the side, maybe as an infographic, but never as actual data captured by a sensor. What we’re giving the world is the ability to do just that, to view large-scale weather phenomena like cyclones in a 3D perspective, and in real time as well. We do this using a technique called muography, which you can think of as an x-ray, but to see inside really huge things..
Professor Hiroyuki Tanaka, Muographix, University of Tokyo
Muography forms X-ray-like images of large objects, as well as pyramids, volcanoes, bodies of water and now, for the first time, atmospheric weather systems. Special sensors called scintillators are combined to create a grid, much like the pixels in the smartphone camera sensor. These scintillators do not record optical light but instead observe particles called muons that form in the atmosphere as cosmic rays from deep space strike atoms in the air.
Muons are unique because they effortlessly pass through matter without scattering as much as other types of particles. However, the small amount they affect when passing through solid, liquid or even gaseous matter, can reveal information about their journey from the atmosphere to the sensors. An image of it can be recreated by capturing a large number of muons passing through something.
We succeeded in imaging the vertical profile of a cyclone, which revealed variations in density that are essential for understanding how cyclones work. The images show cross-sections of the cyclone that passed through Kagoshima Prefecture in western Japan. I was surprised to see clearly that it had a warm low density core that contrasted dramatically with the cold high pressure exterior. There is absolutely no way to capture such data with traditional pressure sensors and photography.
Professor Hiroyuki Tanaka, Muographix, University of Tokyo
The detector used by the scientists has a viewing angle of 90°, but Tanaka plans to integrate identical sensors to form hemispherical and therefore omnidirectional observation stations that can be positioned along the coast. Potentially, these could see cyclones as far away as 300 kilometers. Even though satellites are already tracking these storms, the additional data provided by muography can improve forecasts of upcoming storms.
“One of the next steps for us now will be to refine this technique to detect and visualize storms at different scales. This could mean better modeling and forecasting not only for large storm systems, but also for more local weather patterns.Tanaka concluded.
Journal reference:
Tanaka, HKM, et al. (2022). Atmospheric muography for tropical cyclone imaging and monitoring. Scientific reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-20039-4.
Source: https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/index.html
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