Cosmic rays set the score as Glasgow physicist and artist unveil the Muonophone at Edinburgh Fringe

Cosmic rays set the score as Glasgow physicist and artist unveil the Muonophone at Edinburgh Fringe

(IN BRIEF) University of Glasgow physicist Dr David Mahon and artist/instrument maker Lomond Campbell have created the Muonophone, a hand-built device that converts detections of cosmic-ray muons into live music and visuals. Rooted in Mahon’s muography research—using muons to map the interiors of structures—the instrument responds in real time to particle strikes while Campbell performs accompanying keyboard parts. The work will appear at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe as part of the Made in Scotland Showcase: a week of live MŮO performances at the French Institute from 1–8 August, followed by an installation from 8–25 August. “The Physics of MŮO,” funded by the Institute of Physics in Scotland, will feature Glasgow and Edinburgh PhD students explaining the science to visitors. Mahon highlights his 15+ years of muon research and the University’s spinout Lynkeos Technology, while Campbell emphasizes the cosmic “score” that inspires the immersive experience. Tickets are available online for both the live shows and the installation

(PRESS RELEASE) GLASGOW, 22-Jul-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — A physicist from the University of Glasgow is collaborating with an experimental musician to transform cosmic particles into sound during this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Dr David Mahon has joined forces with artist and instrument builder Lomond Campbell to birth an extraordinary device they call the Muonophone. Campbell designed and constructed the machine, which translates the passage of sub‑atomic particles into evolving soundscapes and visuals in real time.

The project draws on Dr Mahon’s long-standing work in muography—a technique that measures muons, the secondary particles created when cosmic rays strike the Earth’s atmosphere, to produce high‑resolution 3D images of the insides of objects. Because muons zip harmlessly through most materials, sensitive detectors can register them as they fly by. The Muonophone harnesses those detectors on stage, triggering preloaded sonic textures and visual elements whenever a muon is detected, while Campbell overlays live keyboard performances shaped by the random rhythms of space.

Audiences will encounter the instrument in two ways as part of the Made in Scotland Showcase throughout August in Edinburgh. First, a week of live shows titled MŮO will run at the French Institute beginning Friday 1 August, each featuring guest performers who will respond to the Muonophone’s unpredictable output.

When the concerts wrap up, the Muonophone remains on site as an immersive MŮO installation from 8–25 August, allowing visitors to witness the instrument at their own pace.

On selected dates within that installation, an outreach element called “The Physics of MŮO”—supported by the Institute of Physics in Scotland—will bring PhD researchers from the Universities of Glasgow and Edinburgh into the venue to chat with the public about muography and the science behind the artwork.

Dr Mahon, based in the University’s School of Physics & Astronomy, explained: “For over 15 years I’ve been exploring how cosmic rays can help us see inside structures. Our spinout, Lynkeos Technology, now provides industry with 3D interior images that can’t be produced by conventional means. Extending that research into sound with Lomond—letting the cosmos ‘play’ while he performs alongside—has been a joy. I can’t wait to watch how people react to the Muonophone throughout August.”

Campbell added: “When the University invited me to experiment with their muon-detecting kit, I leapt at it. The universe is constantly writing a score through nuclear events, and with muon detectors we can listen—and reinterpret it in sound and light. I want MŮO to spark that sense of wonder. What began as a single instrument idea became a fully immersive audiovisual world, thanks to support from Made in Scotland, Sonica Glasgow and the French Institute.”

Tickets for the MŮO Live performances (1–8 August) and the MŮO Installation (8–25 August) are available online.

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email: media@glasgow.ac.uk

SOURCE: University of Glasgow