3 ms·
Why are people using infrared to look for new chambers and passages? Muon detectors, using cosmic rays for the source, were used in the 1960s to conclude: > We
by dalke 11y ago
Why are people using infrared to look for new chambers and passages? Muon detectors, using cosmic rays for the source, were used in the 1960s to conclude:
> We can say with confidence that no chambers with volumes similar to the four known chambers in Cheops's and Sneferu's pyramids exist in the mass of limestone investigated by cosmic-ray absorption. The volume of the pyramid probed in this manner is defined by a vertically oriented cone, of half-angle 35 degrees, with its point resting in the Belzoni Chamber. The explored volume is 19 percent of the pyramid's volume. We hope that with minor modifications to the apparatus the complete mass of limestone can be searched for chambers. - http://www2.lns.mit.edu/fisherp/AlvarezPyramids.pdf http://www2.lns.mit.edu/fisherp/AlvarezPyramids.pdf
That's one of the reasons we know for certainty there is no large, unknown grain storage chamber in those pyramids.
- burkaman 11y agoI'm guessing a big part of it is "The explored volume is 19 percent of the pyramid's volume." Eliminating the possibility of huge chambers is cool, but it would also be cool to find out if there's anything in the other 80%. Do you know if they ever succeeded in searching the whole pyramid?
- dalke 11y agoLOL! It's going on right now! As part of this exact research project! The BBC article only mentioned infrared, but http://www.popsci.com/archaeologists-will-scan-egypts-pyramids-with-muons-drone-mounted-lasers-and-more http://www.popsci.com/archaeologists-will-scan-egypts-pyrami... says the researchers are "[a]rmed with thermal imaging, muon detectors, and drone-mounted laser scanners."
- talmand 11y agoClearly the aliens that built the pyramids had shielding put in place. Can't have cosmic rays altering the stored grain in strange ways.
- rurban 11y agoThis 1960 investigation only searched 19% of the Chefren pyramid's mass to find a second big chamber. The other 81% still needs to be investigated. It only looked for a Cheops or Sneferu-alike Kings chamber above the Chefren Belzoni chamber.