![cosmic ray sources get mapped out cosmic ray sources get mapped out](https://media.wired.com/photos/608c96408edc04c16a2d0430/master/w_2560%2Cc_limit/Quanta_UHECR-Sources_Lede_HPA.jpg)
The team comprises of the Universities of Sheffield, Durham, Bath and Newcastle, the STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Caltech supported by Premier Oil & Gas and Cleveland Potash Limited. “The essential support from DECC and industry partners will allow us to develop improved detectors and to model and test our technology in practice.” Project leader Professor Jon Gluyas, of the Department of Earth Sciences at Durham University, said: "This technology crosses between traditional scientific disciplines and could radically reduce the cost of monitoring CO2 storage sites, saving perhaps hundreds of millions of pounds per annum. Muon tomography offers the chance to develop a continuous and passive monitoring system for deep sub-surface storage sites. The current monitoring methodology is expensive and typically involves the collection of seismic data which enables snapshots of carbon storage levels to be taken over time. Capturing and storing CO2 is seen as a way to prevent global warming and ocean acidification. Old oil and gas fields, such as those in the North Sea, are considered to be potential storage sites. The carbon is then transported (this could be in fluid form by pipeline) to a storage site.
#Cosmic ray sources get mapped out trial#
This grant will enable us to refine our experimental techniques for this particular application and perform trial deployments of cosmic ray detectors.”Ĭarbon capture and storage (CCS) refers to the process of capturing waste CO2 from major sources of emission, such as fossil fuel power stations, to prevent it entering the atmosphere. The detection of cosmic ray muons can be used to map the density profile of the material above the detectors and hence measure on-going levels of CO2 in any potential carbon store.Ĭarbon storage could play a major part of UK and global environmental policies to tackle global warming but still allow us to generate clean, affordable energy.ĭr Lee Thompson, Reader in Particle Physics at the University of Sheffield, said: "Applying Particle Physics know-how to the issue of monitoring the storage of captured carbon is a novel and innovative idea. Geoscientists, particle physicists and engineers will work together to examine the potential of using sub-atomic particles from cosmic rays – known as muons – which cascade from the upper atmosphere and go on to penetrate rock several kilometres underground. Researchers from the University of Sheffield will be at the centre of a bid by a group of scientists to develop a novel technique using cosmic rays for monitoring storage sites for carbon dioxide (CO2). 21 November 2012 Innovative project set to use cosmic rays detectors to map out carbon storage volumes