Detecting metal elements inside the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence using cosmic ray muons

摘要

As part of the ongoing study of Brunelleschi’s great dome in Florence,the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore has approved a proposal to solve the age-old problem of the possible presence of hoops or iron stirrups within the dome’s inner wall by exploiting the flux of natural muons traversing the dome.Ascertaining presence of a metal hoop in the dome would obviously be relevant to assess the static and seismic safety of the monument.The project,proposed by Dr.Elena Guardincerri from LANL and by Prof.Carlo Blasi,began in 2016 at LANL with the construction of special prototype-panels for the tracking of muons,and has expanded this year to include researchers from the Department of Physics of the University of Florence and INFN-Florence.