A remote controlled XRF system for field analysis of cultural heritage objects

Abstract

Abstract X‐ray fluorescence (XRF) is a nondestructive, multielemental, fast and cost‐effective analysis technique. It can be applied in a nonvacuum environment directly on the samples without any preparation. As archaeological and historical objects are often unique and may not be easily movable, a mobile XRF detector system allowing in situ analysis is ideally suited for archaeometric applications. A mobile system was designed and built at the IPNAS laboratory to provide such analyses. The system includes an industrial grade x‐ray generator which supplies the primary x‐ray beam, an air‐cooled silicon rift Detector detector (SDD) with a 5‐mm 2 active area. The data acquisition system measures the energy and the intensity of the secondary fluorescence x‐rays. The detector signal is amplified and analyzed by a multichannel recorder coupled to a microcomputer running JavaSpectre which visualizes and analyzes spectra obtained from the detector. The detection head, containing the detector, the x‐ray tube and its power supply, are fixed on a movable platform allowing independent vertical and horizontal movement. All displacements are controlled by a hand‐held personal digital assistant (PDA) (Palm) which exchanges data with microcontrollers embedded in the system providing a very precise positioning of the detector over a surface of many square meters. This system control, as well as a typical application of this XRF spectrometer for analyzing pigment composition of a wall painting, will be described. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.