Application of Ion Beam Analysis
Techniques to the Study of
Cultural Heritage Objects
Technological and Nuclear Institute - Unit of Physics and Accelerators
1
What is IBA?
• The IBA (Ion Beam Analysis)
techniques use a high energetic
beam of accelerated particles to
study the composition/quality of
different samples in a nondestructive way.
Technological and Nuclear Institute - Unit of Physics and Accelerators
2
What is IBA?
• The accelerated beam induce in the sample the
emission of secondary radiation or particles.
There is a specific IBA technique to study each one:
Sample
– PIGE (Proton-Induced Gamma Emission)
Ion Beam
X- Ray
PIXE
– NRA (Nuclear Reaction Analysis)
– ERDA (Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis)
RBS
Gamma Ray
PIGE
– RBS (Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry)
– PIXE (Particle Induced X-ray Emission)
Technological and Nuclear Institute - Unit of Physics and Accelerators
3
What is IBA?
RBS and specially PIXE, with the possibility of using
an external beam, are ideally suitable for Cultural
Heritage studies.
Principal characteristics:
–
–
–
–
Non-destructive - low beam currents are used.
Possibility of puntual or scan analysis.
Short time needed for analysis.
The external beam is ideal for:
• big samples,
• fine samples (no vacuum is needed)
• not picking up samples
Technological and Nuclear Institute - Unit of Physics and Accelerators
4
PIXE, What for?
Conservators,
Restorers, Historians,
Archaeologists,...
– Degradation degree
– Original materials used
or after restaurations
– Surface treatments
– Etc.
Technological and Nuclear Institute - Unit of Physics and Accelerators
5
PIXE for Coins/Jewellery
• Composition (gold, silver, copper, alloys…)
• Corrosion state
• Surface composition according with the
surrounding environment where they were
found
• Classification of the objects according the
date/composition:
– provenance (mines, workshops) identification,
– counterfeits selection,
– historical studies (manufacturing technologies,
commercial, etc)
Technological and Nuclear Institute - Unit of Physics and Accelerators
6
PIXE for Glasses, Stained Glass, etc
• Glass and pigments composition (Na, K, Fe,
Cu, Pb…)
• Surface composition according with the
surrounding environment (i.e. Humidity)
• Classification of the objects according the
date/composition:
– counterfeits selection,
– historical studies
Technological and Nuclear Institute - Unit of Physics and Accelerators
7
PIXE for Fabrics, Tapestries...
• Identify and evaluate the nature and the
conservation state of the fibres and
employed mordants by the Arraiolos dyers,
• Information on the composition, structure
and degradation processes,
• Fibres evaluation of the fibre,
• Surface, fracture morphology and mordant
analysis
Technological and Nuclear Institute - Unit of Physics and Accelerators
8
PIXE for Sculptures, Ceramics
• Pigments composition,
• Surface composition according with the
manufacture techniques
• Classification of the objects according the
date/composition:
– restoration,
– Conservation processes
Technological and Nuclear Institute - Unit of Physics and Accelerators
9
PIXE for Paintings
• Surface composition for a better and
adequate rehabilitation/restoration:
– organic / inorganic materials
– varnish composition / thickness
• Actual pigments composition
• Homogeneity
• Study the deterioration according with the
pigments
Technological and Nuclear Institute - Unit of Physics and Accelerators
10
PIXE for Manuscripts
• Ink composition according with the
date/location
• Degradation due to external agents
• Ink composition homogeneity
• Ink-parchment detection
Technological and Nuclear Institute - Unit of Physics and Accelerators
11
PIXE at ITN
The Research Group is working in IBA techniques since
1982, using an 2,5 MV Van de Graaff. For PIXE experiments
an Oxord Microbeams - Ion microprobe with a lateral
resolution of 1,5 µm is used.
Technological and Nuclear Institute - Unit of Physics and Accelerators
12
External - PIXE at ITN
The external microbeam for PIXE experiments is available
since 2008. Since then, multiple studies in Cultural Heritage
have been performed in collaboration with Universties,
Museums...
Examples: Arraiolos tapetries, Roman glasses, Monasterio da Batalha stained
glasses, jewelry, ceramics, etc.
Detector
Sample
Ion beam
Technological and Nuclear Institute - Unit of Physics and Accelerators
13
External-PIXE at ITN: Case Study
Arraiolos rug - 17th century - Portuguese Ancient Art National
Museum collection (MNAA).
Colour hues can be obtained by using
different mordants with the same dye.
Wool composition: S, Si, Ca and K;
2D elemental mapping by μ-PIXE of historical samples
Presence of Al due to a pre-mordanting
procedure;
Technological and Nuclear Institute - Unit of Physics and Accelerators
14
PIXE at ITN: Other works
•
"Stained glass under the microprobe: a window into history", M. Vilarigues, P. Fernandes, L.C.
Alves e R.C. da Silva, Nuclear Instrum. and Methods, B, 267 (2009) 2260-2264.
•
"Stained glass from Monastery of Batalha: non-destructive characterization of glass and
paintings", P. Fernandes, M. Vilarigues, L.C. Alves e R.C. da Silva, J. of Cultural Heritage, 9, pp.
e5-e9 (2008).
•
“Rediscovering the materials of Arraiolos tapestries: fibre and mordant analysis by SEM- EDS
and μ-PIXE”, A. Manhita, C. Costa, T. Ferreira, J. Mirão, H. Vargas, I. Ribeiro, I. Seruya, T.
Pacheco, L. C. Alves, A. Candeias, Micros. Microanal, 14, pp.91-94, 2008
•
"Feixes de protões na análise de objectos de arte ou arqueológicos: microssonda de feixe
externo", P.A. Rodrigues, L.C. Alves, M. Vilarigues, G. Encarnação, R.C. da Silva
16.ª Conferência Nacional de Física, Caparica, Portugal, 3-6 de Setembro, 2008.
•
"Probing Roman Glasses with an External Beam", P.A. Rodrigues, L.C. Alves, G. Encarnação,
R.C. da Silva, 11th International Conference on Nuclear Microprobe Technology and
Applications, Debrecen, Hungary, 20-25 July, 2008.
Technological and Nuclear Institute - Unit of Physics and Accelerators
15
PIXE at ITN: Other works
•
"External beam analysis of Roman glasses", P.A. Rodrigues, L.C. Alves, G. Encarnação,
R.C. da Silva, PIXE 2007 – 11th International Conference on PIXE and its Analytical
Applications, Puebla, Mexico, May 25-29, 2007.
•
"EDXRF, Micro-PIXE and RBS Study of a "Pre-Columbian" Gold Artefact", P. Valério, L.C.
Alves, P.A. Rodrigues, A.M.M. Soares, M.F. Araújo, Technart 2007 – Microanalytical
Techniques in Art and Cultural Heritage Research, Sociedade Portuguesa de Física,
Lisboa, 25-28 April, 2007.
•
"External Microbeam end-station at ITN Nuclear Microprobe", L.C. Alves, P.A. Rodrigues,
M. Vilarigues, R.C. da Silva, ICNMTA 2006 – 10th International Conference on Nuclear
Microprobe Technology and Applications, Singapore, 9-14 July, 2006.
•
"Ion beam and Infrared analysis of medieval stained glass", M. Vilarigues e R.C. da Silva,
Applied Physics A, vol.79, 373-378 (2004).
Technological and Nuclear Institute - Unit of Physics and Accelerators
16
PIXE around the world
In the latter years PIXE technique is more used to study the
Cultural Heritage objects, alone or as a complementary
technique.
Others facitities are, for example:
• National Institute of Nuclear Physics, LABEC, Firenze, Italy
• Museums Research Laboratory of France. AGLAE, Louvre, France
• National Accelerators Centre, University of Sevilla, Spain
Technological and Nuclear Institute - Unit of Physics and Accelerators
17
PIXE at ITN: Team
The research group members are part of the
Physics and Accelerator Department of ITN.
• Luis C. Alves, Microprobe Responsible Researcher
[email protected]
• Rui M.C. da Silva, Principal Researcher
[email protected]
• Victoria Corregidor, Auxiliary Researcher
[email protected]
• Alexandra Rodrigues, Restorer
[email protected]
Technological and Nuclear Institute - Unit of Physics and Accelerators
18
MINISTÉRIO DA CIÊNCIA, TECNOLOGIA
E ENSINO SUPERIOR
Estrada Nacional 10, 2686-953 Sacavém - Portugal
Tel. +351-21-9946000 - Fax: +351-21-9550117
http://www.se.itn.pt/ConsRest/MicroFEx/
http://www.itn.pt/facilities/pt_lab_ion_beam.htm
Technological and Nuclear Institute - Unit of Physics and Accelerators
19