BCGS Technical Talk – January 20, 2021
Speaker: Doug Schouten, PhD. Ideon Technologies Inc.
Title: Advances in cosmic-ray muon tomography: a new approach to subsurface exploration
Date/Time: Wednesday, January 20, 2021 @ 4:30pm – 5:30pm PST
Location: Online Webinar
Bio:
Doug Schouten, PhD, Ideon Technologies
Doug Schouten is CTO and Co-founder of Ideon Technologies. He is a global leader in muon tomography and one of the few people in the world with the expertise to turn muon research into industrial problems solved. Doug holds a BSc. (Hons) in physics and computer science from UBC, and a PhD in subatomic physics from SFU. Doug also has extensive expertise in computer simulation, data analysis and statistical inference – including machine learning methods and detector physics.
Abstract:
Advances in cosmic-ray muon tomography: a new approach to subsurface exploration
Canada’s Ideon Technologies Inc. is a world pioneer in the application of cosmic-ray muon tomography and has developed a discovery platform that provides x-ray-like visibility up to 1 km beneath the Earth’s surface.
Muons are naturally occurring sub-atomic particles that are produced by cosmic rays striking our atmosphere. They lose energy progressively as they pass through the Earth’s surface. As they encounter higher-density material, muons lose energy at an accelerated rate, which reduces their intensity. The intensity, and the density of the materials encountered, can be measured. Muon tomography maps the intensity of cosmic-ray muons underground, measuring the physical properties in a targeted search area. The images are then combined to produce a 3D model of any anomalies present.
A spin-off of TRIUMF (Canada’s national particle accelerator laboratory), Ideon Technologies grew from an idea that a curious Canadian geophysicist brought forward from industry. After securing seed funding in 2020, Ideon is now developing the world’s first compact muon detection instrument designed to be deployed down industry-standard boreholes – field trials are underway this spring. Proprietary algorithms and advanced inversion technologies now also allow for the combination of muon data with other data sources to enhance the characterization of subsurface geology.
Webinar:
A recording of the webinar is available on our Youtube channel.