Egypt’s famous and largest landmarks — the Great Pyramids of Giza — have not remained hidden from the world anymore as scientists have figured out ways to determine the inside structure of one of the wonders of the world with the help of cosmic rays.
With a height of 146 metres, the Pyramid was built as a tomb during Pharaoh Khufu’s reign or Cheops in around 2,560 BC. As much of its casing of white limestone was removed it currently has a height of 139 metres.
Historically, its ancient treasures were robbed by looters for thousands of years and experts have studied its interior design using cutting-edge technologies and modern techniques such as thermal scanners.
The Pyramid still has many secrets to reveal. In 2015, a team of Scan Pyramids used subatomic particles to study the hidden things about the landmark. IN 2017, the team encountered a huge void above the gallery of the pyramid. The purpose, however, of the “Big Void”—as it was dubbed—was not known.
A research study published in the journal Nature Communications on Thursday have been able to determine the structure of the corridor with the help of cosmic rays which fall upon the earth constantly from the sun.
A subatomic particle, the mouns — a cosmic ray — passes through the earth’s atmosphere and also collides with the matter on the earth’s surface. The absorption rate of the mounds by an object is measurable as per the object’s density. The moun is also an important ray because it is considered one of the basic particles from which the universe was created.
Cosmic ray muons, subatomic particles considered one of the most basic building blocks of the universe, pass through Earth’s atmosphere and sometimes collide with the solid matter on the ground. A given object’s density and thickness determine how much of the muon is absorbed by the object—and that’s measurable.
Seven detectors were placed inside the two corridors of the Pyramid by two research teams from 2016 to 2019 over the three-year period. The detectors were used to observe the activity of the mounds.
When the mounts fall upon the detector from any direction, it allows ascertaining from what matter they have passed through prior to their detection. This way, the experts were able to chalk out the discovery of the North Face Corridor and then defined its specifications.
As the measurements explain, the North Face Corridor is 2.6 feet behind the North Face Chevron, above the current entrance to the pyramid for the tourists.
The corridor is expected to be 27 feet in length and shaped like a pipe, running horizontally to the ground. It is likely that it has a cross-section larger than other corridors in the Pyramid. Also, this measurement fails to connect the relation to the 30 meters long “Big Void” which was detected some years earlier by the Scan Pyramids expert.
Just because North Face Chevron was not known to the world, it is interesting for people and experts to find out more about it and its characteristics. People also raise questions regarding the purpose behind the hidden chevrons and their structures.
As the scientists indulge themselves more in the study of these pyramids, and their pathways, they come across more questions in their minds as it generates further curiosity for learning more about the hidden side of the pyramids.
