  The MURAVES experiment aims at the muographic imaging of the internal
structure of the summit of Mt. Vesuvius, exploiting muons produced by cosmic
rays. Though presently quiescent, the volcano carries a dramatic hazard in its
highly populated surroundings. The challenging measurement of the rock density
distribution in its summit by muography, in conjunction with data from other
geophysical techniques, can help the modeling of possible eruptive dynamics.
The MURAVES apparatus consists of an array of three independent and identical
muon trackers, with a total sensitive area of 3 square meters. In each tracker,
a sequence of 4 XY tracking planes made of plastic scintillators is
complemented by a 60 cm thick lead wall inserted between the two downstream
planes to improve rejection of background from low energy muons. The apparatus
is currently acquiring data. Preliminary results from the analysis of a first
data sample are presented.
