Study of secondary muons detected within the tunnels of the Cholula pyramid

E.  Moreno-Barbosa; J. E.  Espinosa Rosales; J.  Cotzomi-Paleta; B. De  Celis-Alonso; M.  Cruz-Sanchez; E.  Merlo-Juarez; P.  Trejo-Garcia; A.  Lima-Flores; R.  Palomino-Merino

doi:10.15415/jnp.2017.51005

Authors

E. Moreno-Barbosa Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Avenida San Claudio y 18 Sur, Col. San Manuel, Ciudad Universitaria, Puebla, Puebla. C.P. 72570, México.
J. E. Espinosa Rosales Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Avenida San Claudio y 18 Sur, Col. San Manuel, Ciudad Universitaria, Puebla, Puebla. C.P. 72570, México.
J. Cotzomi-Paleta Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Avenida San Claudio y 18 Sur, Col. San Manuel, Ciudad Universitaria, Puebla, Puebla. C.P. 72570, México.
B. De Celis-Alonso Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Avenida San Claudio y 18 Sur, Col. San Manuel, Ciudad Universitaria, Puebla, Puebla. C.P. 72570, México.
M. Cruz-Sanchez Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia , Delegación Puebla, Zona Arqueológica de Cholula, 8 norte núm. 2, colonia centro , San Andrés Cholula, Puebla, C.P. 72760, México.
E. Merlo-Juarez Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia , Delegación Puebla, Zona Arqueológica de Cholula, 8 norte núm. 2, colonia centro , San Andrés Cholula, Puebla, C.P. 72760, México.
P. Trejo-Garcia Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Avenida San Claudio y 18 Sur, Col. San Manuel, Ciudad Universitaria, Puebla, Puebla. C.P. 72570, México.
A. Lima-Flores Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Avenida San Claudio y 18 Sur, Col. San Manuel, Ciudad Universitaria, Puebla, Puebla. C.P. 72570, México.
R. Palomino-Merino Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas, Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Avenida San Claudio y 18 Sur, Col. San Manuel, Ciudad Universitaria, Puebla, Puebla. C.P. 72570, México.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15415/jnp.2017.51005

Keywords:

Scintillation detector, Cosmic rays, Tube photomultiplier, Pyramid

Abstract

The pyramid of Cholula was built at the beginning of 100 B.C. and during of period of 500 years it was finished, had several new constructions, based on the previous constructions. The primarily material of construction is the adobe. Early in 1931 archaeological excavations began with the intention of exploring the interior of the pyramid, excavations were stopped in 1971, and to date no further excavations have been carried out. This work shows the first measurements of muons, particles that are very penetrating, these are generated by primary cosmic rays that was incoming in the atmosphere and these generates a rain of secondary particles, among them the muons. To measure this kind of particles was implemented a detector system, it is formed by a scintillator plastic coupled to a tube photomultiplier; the signals were acquired by mean of an oscilloscope. The detector was collocated near of the center of the pyramid; the location belongs to the maxima concentration in mass over the detector. Graphs of the charge distribution, maximum amplitude and characteristic rise times of the generated pulses in a plastic scintillator are shown, this is scintillator was synthesized in the materials laboratory of the FCFM-BUAP. In addition the optical characterization of the same was realized.

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