Exploiting activation radiation from neutron tomography reveals the hidden elemental composition of 3D art objects for free.

ABSTRACT: Neutron tomography is gaining popularity particularly in cultural heritage research, for non-destructively analysing the inner structure of bulk metal artefacts, such as bronzes, but the induced temporary decay radiation is often considered as a drawback. However, this delayed gamma-emission can be put to good use: by performing gamma spectroscopy after neutron tomography, the interior elemental composition of artefacts can be obtained "for free". Inspired by this, we propose a ray-tracing approach to non-invasively quantify both interior geometry and elemental composition using only a single neutron tomography experiment. This strategy aligns well with both the aim for efficient use of neutron beam time and the expectation from curators and conservators for minimal neutron irradiation. He

SUBMITTER: Li Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11584630 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature