Laser experiment reportedly creates images almost entirely with muons
Science reports that researchers sent a laser-generated particle beam through a concrete wall to image lead blocks. In a preprint, the team says the images were created almost entirely by muons, without relying on light.
TLDR
Science reports that researchers used the world’s most powerful laser in June 2026 to send a particle beam through a concrete wall and into a black van. After processing the data, they released images showing the shadow of lead blocks placed between the wall and the van. In a preprint, the team reported demonstrating for the first time that the images were created almost entirely by muons—high-energy particles produced by the laser. Science says such on-demand beams could eventually reveal subsurface archaeological structures or concealed nuclear materials shipped across borders.
