Phd in EARTH SCIENCES

Thesis title: Development of a 2D-XRF Scanner for Cultural Heritage Applications

In this work, the design conception and the construction of a 2D X-ray fluorescence scanner, from mechanical parts to software, are fully presented and discussed. The instrument is composed of one modular scanning head, with interchangeable parts and two different X-Y translation stages. It is controlled by one single program, using specifically tailored Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). The system design follows a plug-and-play approach, where the system can adapt to almost every need, being transported to galleries, and even overseas to remote excavation sites. A complete and open-source data analysis software for Windows™, XISMuS, was also developed and is available online with a distribution package. The software design and implementation are also fully described in this work, as well as its functionalities and a copy of the User Guide for version v2.4.3. The fully constructed instrument and the data analysis software were tested against one commercial model and on a wide variety of materials, in combination with several different analytical techniques for a full characterization of tiles, painted leathers, metals, gildings, stones, sediments, and paintings. All the case studies are thoroughly presented. Among them, an innovative method, which combines micro-petrography and XRF scans of thin sections performed in-field at Koumasa, Crete.