In the latest issue of Physics Today, American physics briefly described the present-day

[Artem]

In the latest issue of Physics Today, American physics briefly described the modern methods of study of art and archaeological artifacts using particle accelerators.

A complete list of these methods the authors did not even try, noting that "art history" accelerator laboratories may have a variety of configurations and operating successfully, for example, in Paris (at the Louvre), Florence and Seville. Intending to give a general idea about the prospects of research, scientists have described only two methods that are used in the American University of Notre Dame.

First, emission spectroscopy induced particle X-ray emission (PIXES), refers to the non-destructive techniques. For the analysis by the method of forming a beam of protons PIXES that fall on the sample and release electrons from inner shells of atoms. Other electrons fill the vacancies, giving rise to characteristic X-rays, recording it, the experimenters estimate the elemental composition of the substance. We can say that PIXES is "improved" X-ray fluorescence analysis with the possibility of layered study of microscopic sections of the sample and the increased accuracy and sensitivity.

Figurine from the collection of the University of Notre Dame, found during excavations of Mesoamerican graves. A figure is ready to PIXES-analysis: it removed the particle beam from an electrostatic accelerator and the left side of the image is a silicon-lithium detector for the registration of the characteristic X-rays. (An example of the magazine Physics Today.)
The technique has been used PIXES when considering ancient coins, where it helps to gather information about the process of coinage, and track changes in the composition (for example, in the difficult times of Roman silver denarii are gradually being replaced by less valuable metals, which is reflected in the data PIXES). At the University of Notre Dame and studied American copper jewelry, material which could produce locally or import them from Britain or France. This analysis provides insights on where in the XVIII century the boundaries of the colonies were in the Midwestern United States.

PIXES used for relative dating of Galileo's works, written in different ink, and drawings by Durer, made a silver pencil. In addition, this technique has proved to be a reliable way to detect counterfeits, which have been tested recently - in 2011, when German experts uncovered a criminal group, who had sold more than a dozen paintings, supposedly created by the Surrealists and Expressionists beginning of the twentieth century. Profits from the sale of counterfeits, issued in cloth Kampendonka Henry, Max Ernst, Fernand Léger, Max Pehshteyna and other famous artists, was about $ 36 million. In an investigation of this case, scientists (using dendrochronological methods) demonstrated that the wooden frame of four paintings that were attributed to Campendonk, Léger, and André Derain Pehshteynu have a common origin, and then spent PIXES-analysis, discovered titanium white pigment, in the first third of the last century has not included in the intake.


"Landscape with horses", which is represented as the work of forgers Kampendonka.
Second review of the technique, mass spectrometry accelerator (AMS), akin to conventional mass spectrometry, which has long been used to verify the provenance of certain items. Prior to the study of ions in AMS accelerated to very high kinetic energies, which enables detection of rare radionuclides, and separated from each other isotopes of different elements with the same mass numbers (eg, 14N and 14C).

Since AMS-analysis does not require a bulk sample material and cost several tens of milligrams, this method is well suited for determining the age of archaeological and paleontological finds. This dating has given excellent results when examining the Shroud of Turin and the mummy ECR.

Prepared according to Physics Today.