MUON TELESCOPE AND NEUTRON DETECTOR, SYSTEM FOR MEASURING AND CHARACTERIZING LARGE VOLUMES, AND METHODS

The present invention relates to the structural design and functions of a muon telescope (21) and a neutron detector (23 and 24), and to a system (1) for measuring and characterizing large volumes, comprising at least one muon telescope, and also a method for automatically calibrating a muon telescope (21), a method for three-dimensional reconstruction of mass and/or volume using the record of passes of muons passing through, captured by a muon telescope, a method for inferring total mass and/or volume using as data the muon rate captured by a muon telescope (21) recorded next to or below an observed object, and also a method for inferring absolute or differential density using as data the muon rate captured by a muon telescope (21) recorded next to or below the observed object, a system for measuring neutrons associated with the muon telescope, allowing the detection of the integral and/or directional atmospheric neutron flux, and a method for inferring the quantity of water/moisture or hydrocarbons in the studied volume on the basis of the neutron flux data.