| Abstract: | SUMMARIES. X-ray radiography is a common visualization technique in the study of paintings. The technique has hardly seen any methodological changes over the past century. This paper describes the first-time application to paintings of novel, synchrotron-based X-ray imaging techniques. The advantage of synchrotron radiation is the tunable monochromaticity of the X-ray beam. This feature has mostly been developed for medical imaging, but proves to be suitable for the study of paintings as well. The first technique we present is known as X-ray K-edge imaging. Two X-ray transmission images of a painting were taken with one energy slightly below and one slightly above the K-edge of the element of interest. When subtracting both images the distribution of that particular element is visualized. The poster includes distribution images for various elements in a test painting. Diffraction enhanced X-ray imaging (DEI) is another, powerful X-ray technique, which so far has not been applied to the study of paintings. As opposed to attenuation in conventional imaging, DEI visualizes radiation refraction, caused by different refractive indices in the object or non-uniform object thickness. Given the sensitivity to low Z materials, DEI allows for the imaging of light elements in paint, which so far has remained virtually impossible by radiology. Secondly, the selectivity of different refractive angles provides the principal possibility to tune in on pigments or other materials with characteristic refractive properties. Examples of DEI on the test painting are shown. |
|---|
