Common Misconceptions

Misconception 1: Neutrinos from Muon decays will induce radiation and hazard to humans and the environment: 

Truth: The design aims to keep radiation levels at the negligible level. It is true that decays of muons in the collider ring will produce large numbers of neutrinos that can travel long distance through the earth and a tiny fraction of them will interact with atoms in dense structures located near the surface, producing in principle detectable radiation. It should be noted that neutrinos are present in abundance in our everyday life. For example, on the surface of the Earth, ten trillion solar and atmospheric neutrinos pass through your hand every second, and some will interact with the atoms that make up your hand. The question therefore must be addressed quantitatively - will a Muon Collider produce enough neutrinos to create a problem? Numerous detailed studies have been conducted to answer this question. Preliminary results indicate that with dedicated mitigation strategies, neutrino induced radiation levels produced by a 10 TeV muon collider ring located 200 meters underground, will be significantly below the US occupational radiation limit for general public. 

Misconception 2: The amount of tungsten needed for the detector shielding nozzles exceeds annual world-wide production rate.

Truth: The amount of tungsten for the nozzles is negligible compared to the annual production. The two nozzles together weigh approximately 30 tons (and possibly less with further optimization). This is to be compared with the annual production rates that can be found for example here, which is close to 80,000 tons world-wide. Canada, for example produces 2,200 tons per year.