A Continuous Millimeter-Wave Imaging Scanner for Art Conservation Science

Abstract

A monochromatic continuous millimeter-wave imaging system coupled with an infrared temperature sensor has been used to investigate artistic objects such as painting artworks or antiquities preserved at the museum of Aquitaine. Especially, 2D and 3D analyses have been performed in order to reveal the internal structure of a nearly 3500-year-old sealed Egyptian jar.

Advantage of terahertz radiation versus X-ray to detect hidden organic materials in sealed vessels

“…The portable THz scanner has been installed in the Museum of Aquitaine (Bordeaux, France) in order to performed on site THz imaging in collaboration with curators. There, many historic art samples have been scanned from Ancient Egyptian and Roman objects to more contemporary ones such as African fetishes [29]. In this study, we focus on a small Egyptian terracotta jar from the XVIIIth Dynasty (inventory number 8608).…”

Mobile depth profiling and sub-surface imaging techniques for historical paintings—A review

“…Younus et al obtained promising results by visualizing graphite sketches under paint layers in transmission and reflection geometry with a CW instrument. Further, the investigation of various archaeological artefacts by THz 2-dimensional scanning and THz computed tomography experiments are described [164]. While CW THz imaging allows for the straightforward investigation of historical paintings its lateral resolution is limited to the range of several millimetres due to the long wavelength of the primary radiation.…”

A method of studying spectral optical characteristics of a homogeneous medium by means of terahertz time-domain spectroscopy

“…Major part of the relict cosmic radiation, which has the spectral composition typical of a blackbody radiation with a temperature of 3 K, falls into the microwave and THz regions of the electromagnetic spectrum [8,9]. THz imaging systems and THz spectroscopy can be used for solving problems related to human safety [10], nondestructive technological and operational testing of construction materials [11][12][13][14], noninvasive diagnostics of human diseases (diagnostics of skin [15][16][17], breast [18,19], and intestine cancer [20]; skin burn assessment [21]; diagnostics of demineralization of tooth enamel [22,23]; and studies of the eye cornea [24]), as well as nondestructive studies of works of art [25,26].…”