László Oláh is returning from Japan under the HUN-REN Welcome Home and Foreign Researcher Recruitment Programme, where he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the Tokyo University Earthquake Research Institute on the volcanic and industrial applications of muography. At the HUN-REN Wigner Research Centre for Physics (HUN-REN Wigner RCP), the High-Energy Geophysics Research Group he established is working on the geoscientific and geotechnical applications of cosmic muon detection. Their planned research may be useful in developing muographic methods for assessing volcanic and atmospheric hazards; exploration of mines for sustainable, efficient, and safe mining; passive and non-destructive survey of built infrastructure; and the application of muon tracking for navigation and security technology.
László Oláh applied the muographic observation system and measurement method developed in the joint research and development of the University of Tokyo and the HUN-REN Wigner RCP to study the Sakurajima volcano. During his research, he observed the formation of a volcanic plug under one of the active craters after an eruption period and then revealed the relationship between the movement of the volcano's ground surface and the frequency of volcanic eruptions. In addition, he demonstrated the possibility of measuring mass changes caused by mudslides originating from the volcano's surface and the erosion of deposited debris using muography. Muography was also used for assessing the structural condition of debris barriers and railway pillars, in collaboration with Japanese industrial partners.
The establishment of the High-Energy Geophysics Research Group was motivated by the realisation and scientific focus of previous research and development work. The scientific goals of the research group include the study of the geology of the oceanic lithosphere by revealing the large-scale density structure of ophiolites; investigating active volcanism; characterising subsurface structural and geological properties; and studying the structure and dynamics of tropical cyclones.
The planned geoscientific research may be useful in several areas, such as developing muographic methods for assessing volcanic and atmospheric hazards; exploration of mines for sustainable, efficient, and safe mining; passive and non-destructive survey of built infrastructure; and the application of muon tracking for navigation and security technology.
Under the HUN-REN Welcome Home and Foreign Researcher Recruitment Programme, first announced in 2023 by the HUN-REN Headquarters, six Hungarian and one foreign top-level researchers will arrive in Hungary to form research groups within the network and realise their outstanding scientific projects as pledged in their winning proposals.