Thesis
High-altitude engineering and analysis for cosmic ray tomography
Master of Science (M.S.), Drexel University
Jun 2026
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00011500
Abstract
Muon tomography is a non-destructive imaging technique using cosmic ray muons produced in the Earth's atmosphere, with wide-ranging applications. The Moon's lack of atmosphere makes muon tomography impractical there, ruling out applications such as subsurface imaging and navigation. To address this gap, we created a cosmic ray tomography payload consisting of two columns of tungsten and sixteen scintillators paired to silicon photomultipliers, to be launched on the HASP mission. The scintillators will read out the particle flux produced through high-altitude cosmic ray bombardment in the tungsten, which represents lunar regolith. Therefore, this experiment will be able to assess the feasibility of cosmic ray tomography in environments with little atmosphere. My thesis research contributes to this effort through two aspects: testing structural components under high-altitude conditions, and developing a Python-based analysis framework for detector performance validation, calibration, and particle identification. This framework is designed for direct extension to the HASP flight data upon mission completion, where it will be used to determine whether secondary particles produced via tungsten interactions retain sufficient energy in order to be used in lunar exploration applications.
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Details
- Title
- High-altitude engineering and analysis for cosmic ray tomography
- Creators
- Emma Martignoni
- Contributors
- Christina Love (Advisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University
- Number of pages
- xiv, 74 pages
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- College of Engineering (1970-2026); Mechanical Engineering (and Mechanics) (1970-2026); Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991022193194804721