Physics and cultural heritage

Particle accelerator technology, developed for basic research, is applied to the field of cultural heritage. Particle accelerators are used for analysing art works and ancient finds. Thus, it is possible to detect the various layers of a painting, date a find, or analyse the type of ink used in a manuscript. INFN has two laboratories dedicated to these activities: LANDIS (Non-Destructive In-Situ Analysis Laboratory) at the National Laboratories of the South, in Catania, and LABEC (Laboratory of nuclear techniques for Environment and Cultural Heritage), which it manages in collaboration with the University of Florence. In addition, all INFN’s activities dedicated to cultural heritage are managed as part of CHNet, the expertise network of the Institute for Cultural Heritage. Numerous divisions and laboratories engaged in this field of research, from the National Laboratories of Frascati to those of Legnaro, are members of this network.

Analysis of a painting (“Portrait of an Unknown Man” painted by Antonello da Messina in 1476) with the Pixe (Particle Induced X-ray Emission) technique in the Labec laboratory (Laboratory of Nuclear Techniques Applied to Cultural Heritage) of the INFN in Florence. (© INFN LABEC)

The non-destructive techniques and mobile X-ray spectroscopy technologies developed by researchers at the LANDIS laboratory for the knowledge and conservation of ancient materials and works of art. Landis (Non-destructive analysis laboratory), in the Southern Laboratories of the INFN. (© INFN LANDIS)

LABEC is a reference centre for developing new technologies for analysing cultural assets.In addition to being equipped with a tandem electrostatic accelerator for conducting mass spectrometry measurements and elemental analysis, it is also dedicated to developing innovative accelerators, like MACHINA, the first “portable” particle accelerator dedicated tocultural assets. MACHINA was designed in collaboration with CERN of Geneva and the Opificio delle Pietre Dure (“Workshop of semi-precious stones”) in Florence. It will help experts and researchers to analyse art works and historic finds, including large immovable ones, in a non-invasive way.

In addition, particle physics has made it possible to develop a non-invasive analysis technique that is very useful for studying inaccessible environments. This is muography or muon radiography, which uses cosmic muons to obtain information about the distribution of matter in large structures. This technique was successfully used in archaeology, to study mining infrastructure or the inside of volcanoes. In addition, INFN participates in the European initiative SUM – Save the Ukraine Monuments. This has the goal of saving the digital documentation of Ukraine’s cultural heritage in order to assist the reconstruction and future recovery of artistic assets from damage caused by the war. SUM was launchedas part of the European project 4CH Competence Center for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage.