Papers by Ferruccio Petrucci
Applied Physics A, 2016
The atmospheric tests of nuclear weapons caused a sudden increase in the radiocarbon concentratio... more The atmospheric tests of nuclear weapons caused a sudden increase in the radiocarbon concentration in the atmosphere from 1955, reaching its maximum value in 1963-1965. Once the nuclear tests in the atmosphere were halted, the 14 C concentration started to decrease. This behavior of the radiocarbon concentration is called the ''Bomb Peak'', and it has successfully been used as a tool for high-precision radiocarbon measurements, in forensic sciences and biology. In the art field, the possibility of dating canvas, wood and paper, widely used as supports for paintings, may be an invaluable tool in modern art studies.
X-Ray Spectrometry, 2013
An outstanding style of Persian tilework, which emerged from the northeastern Iran in the 15th ce... more An outstanding style of Persian tilework, which emerged from the northeastern Iran in the 15th century, was extensively used for decorating architectural facades during the Safavid period (from the 16th through the 18th century). This type of tilework, the socalled haft rang, technically comprises of forming a clay body and firing two glazed layers on top of the body. In the present paper, the first analytical data concerning haft rang tiles is provided. To do so, forty three samples of Safavid haft rang bodies were analysed by wavelength dispersive x-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) and the obtained data were handled by principal component analysis (PCA). The results showed that the 17th century haft rang tiles wherever found are local products; that is, Safavid tile-makers have used local clay sources to make the bodies of haft rang tiles. The analytical data also showed that old tileworks, in general sense, can be simply replaced by newly manufactured tiles or, at least, all tilework revetments in an individual edifice might not have been produced in an identical workshop. Moreover, WDXRF was used as an accurate and precise method to determine the chemical composition and to support compositional classification in provenance studies and can be considered as a reliable alternative for studying the provenance of archaeological ceramics.
Journal of Archaeological Science, 2014
Seventeenth century polychrome overglaze haft rang tiles found in various regions of Iran (Isfaha... more Seventeenth century polychrome overglaze haft rang tiles found in various regions of Iran (Isfahan, Qazvin, Mashhad, and Mazandaran) were investigated with ultravioletevisible spectroscopy (UVeVis), portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and micro-Raman spectroscopy. Two types of glazes were identified, namely low lead-alkali and high lead glazes, in which cobalt, copper, iron, and manganese were used as colourants. Tin oxide and lead-tin yellow were recognised as white and yellow opacifiers respectively. The black line, which was used for delineating the tiles' design, was mainly composed of manganese, iron, and aluminium oxides. The high maturing temperature of this line prevented the low-temperature coloured glazes run together during the firing. Finally, technological differences between haft rang and cuerda seca techniques are highlighted and minai overglazes are briefly compared with haft rang overglazes.
Applied Physics A, 2009
Monochromatic X-ray sources can be used for several applications, like in medicine or in studying... more Monochromatic X-ray sources can be used for several applications, like in medicine or in studying our cultural heritage. We are investigating imaging systems based on a tuneable energy band X-ray source, to obtain an element mapping of painting layers using the K-edge technique. The narrow energy band beams are obtained with conventional X-ray source via Bragg diffraction on a mosaic crystal; such an analysis has been performed at different diffraction angles, tuning the energy to investigate spectra of interest from the artistic point of view, like zinc and copper. In this paper the characteristics of the system in terms of flu
IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, 2012
The neu_ART project aims at developing state of the art transmission imaging and computed tomogra... more The neu_ART project aims at developing state of the art transmission imaging and computed tomography techniques, applied to art objects, by using neutrons as well as more conventional X-rays. In this paper a facility for digital X-ray radiography of large area paintings on canvas or wooden panels and for the X-ray tomography of large size wooden artifacts, recently installed in a protected area, is presented. The results of a K-edge radiography facility that will soon be installed in the same area are also shown.
The European Physical Journal Plus
A scanner for digital radiography of large paintings has been designed and developed, aimed to in... more A scanner for digital radiography of large paintings has been designed and developed, aimed to in situ performances. We report here the application to “Paolo and Francesca” ($$260 \times 230 \,\hbox {cm}^{2}$$ 260 × 230 cm 2 ), masterpiece by the Italian divisionist painter Gaetano Previati (1909). The scanner has given the whole radiography in 1137 X-ray shots, which were corrected for X-ray inhomogeneities and finally processed, minimizing the visual impact of the frame structure. The original version of the painting has been brought to the light, and it appears to be a further step in the evolution of the theme frequently experienced by the artist.
Ge-conservacion
Giovanni da Mel (1480-1549) fue un artista del Renacimiento italiano que trabajó en la región del... more Giovanni da Mel (1480-1549) fue un artista del Renacimiento italiano que trabajó en la región del Veneto y se dedicó a la técnica del fresco en el taller de su familia. Durante la última parte de su vida, en la iglesia de Trichiana (Belluno), pintó la única obra sobre tela que se le atribuye. Gracias a la colaboración entre restauradores y científicos, ha sido posible estudiar profundamente esta pintura peculiar. Las técnicas de imagen facilitaron la identificación de la metodología artística, por ejemplo resaltando el uso del grabado de la preparación para delinear el dibujo (típico de la técnica del fresco). Luego, la aplicación de análisis puntual permitió identificar la paleta del artista, revelando algunas características, desde la adición de un pigmento a base de cobre hasta el carbón animal (negro de hueso), para secar el óleo. Las técnicas diagnósticas caracterizaron completamente el retablo desde un punto de vista metodológica y de los materiales.
Heritage
Recently, a new painting attributed to Artemisia Gentileschi was found in Ferrara, representing J... more Recently, a new painting attributed to Artemisia Gentileschi was found in Ferrara, representing Judith exposing the head of Holofernes. Some analyses have been required to verify the history of this canvas, because another known painting is very similar to this one with the exception of the heads of Judith and Holofernes. This last has been attributed to the father of Artemisia, Orazio Gentileschi. Many diagnostics were performed, starting from imaging techniques: from raking light, to UV fluorescence and X-ray radiography. All of them highlighted peculiarities concerning above all the head of the main female protagonist. The results suggest that the face of Judith was subjected to various reworks in the same artistic period because of the original materials still present. This is the reason for the peculiar fragility and, due to this, the restoration of the 20th Century focused on Judith’s face. However, in this contribution, we want to highlight the results obtained with XRF spot ...
Proceedings of The 25th International workshop on vertex detectors — PoS(Vertex 2016)
The European Physical Journal Plus
Proceedings of XIIth International Conference on Heavy Quarks & Leptons 2014 — PoS(HQL2014)
The NA48/2 Collaboration at CERN has accumulated unprecedented statistics of rare kaon decays in ... more The NA48/2 Collaboration at CERN has accumulated unprecedented statistics of rare kaon decays in the K e4 modes: K e4 (+−) (K ± → π + π − e ± ν) and K e4 (00) (K ± → π 0 π 0 e ± ν) with nearly one percent background contamination. The detailed study of form factors and branching rates, based on these data, has been completed recently. The results brings new inputs to low energy strong interactions description and tests of Chiral Perturbation Theory (ChPT) and lattice QCD calculations. In particular, new data support the ChPT prediction for a cusp in the π 0 π 0 invariant mass spectrum at the two charged pions threshold for K e4 (00) decay. New final results from an analysis of about 400 K ± → π ± γγ rare decay candidates collected by the NA48/2 and NA62 experiments at CERN during low intensity runs with minimum bias trigger configurations are presented. The results include a model-independent decay rate measurement and fits to ChPT description.
Proceedings of 11th International Conference on Large Scale Applications and Radiation Hardness of Semiconductor Detectors — PoS(RD13)
Proceedings of The 23rd International Workshop on Vertex Detectors — PoS(Vertex2014)
The GigaTracker measures the momentum, the direction and the crossing time of all the NA62 second... more The GigaTracker measures the momentum, the direction and the crossing time of all the NA62 secondary beam particles. It is composed of three hybrid silicon pixel stations and four achromatic magnets. All the stations have a rate capability above 750 MHz, a single hit time resolution better than 200 ps and a thickness less than 0.5 % of X/X 0. The stations' sensor is read out by ten custom TDCpix ASICs. An innovative microchannel cooling solution is used to keep the sensor temperature below 0°C. The stations are operated in vacuum and are easily swappable.
Applied Physics A, 2016
X-ray radiography is one of the most widely used imaging techniques in the field of cultural heri... more X-ray radiography is one of the most widely used imaging techniques in the field of cultural heritage, both for conservation and for investigation purposes. Performing radiographies in museums, thus avoiding movements of works of art, has been recently made easy by digital acquisition of images, but when the whole scan of a large painting is required, technical solutions for a portable device are still not at hand. The inherent weight of the X-ray tube and of the high-voltage generator makes the design of a portable device very difficult. In this project, the solution of the puzzle was separating devices devoted to different tasks, in order to maintain each item under 60 kg weight, thus being transportable with reasonable effort.
e-conservation Journal, 2014
Durante l'esposizione "L'invito del Maestro", tenutasi nell'estate del 2011 presso la Casa Museo ... more Durante l'esposizione "L'invito del Maestro", tenutasi nell'estate del 2011 presso la Casa Museo Remo Brindisi al Lido di Spina, è stata allestita dal Laboratorio di Archeometria afferente all'Area 3 del TekneHub una mostra didattica sulle diagnostiche per immagini non invasive eseguite su alcune opere della Casa Museo. Questa attività di diagnostica è stata condotta allo scopo di sviluppare un protocollo di studio per le opere del Novecento sulla base dei materiali e delle tecniche artistiche. Il curriculum diagnostico, che è ben noto per opere d'arte antica, deve ancora trovare un'aggiornata definizione per le opere dal Novecento fino a oggi, a causa del moltiplicarsi della disponibilità dei materiali artistici e del frammentarsi delle possibilità d'impiego, praticamente circoscritte al singolo artista. La definizione di una sequenza di indagini non invasive potrà avere nel prossimo futuro molteplici finalità: dallo studio, alla conservazione, all'autenticazione dell'opera, e pertanto potrà essere inserita tra i servizi offerti dal TekneHub.
Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2014
ABSTRACT The diagnostic investigations are an important resource in the studies on Cultural Herit... more ABSTRACT The diagnostic investigations are an important resource in the studies on Cultural Heritage to enhance the knowledge on execution techniques, materials and conservation status of a work of art. In this field, due to the great historical and artistic value of the objects, preservation is the main concern; for this reason, new technological equipment has been designed and developed in the Physics Departments of the Universities of Ferrara and Bologna to enhance the non-invasive approach to the study of pictorial artworks and other objects of cultural interest. Infrared (IR) reflectography, X-ray radiography and computed tomography (CT), applied to works of art, are joined by the same goal: to get hidden information on execution techniques and inner structure pursuing the non-invasiveness of the methods, although using different setup and physical principles. In this work transportable imaging systems to investigate large objects in museums and galleries are presented. In particular, 2D scanning devices for IR reflectography and X-ray radiography, CT systems and some applications to the Cultural Heritage are described.
Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 1998
The authors have implemented a system for monitoring the purity of helium for the NA-48 experimen... more The authors have implemented a system for monitoring the purity of helium for the NA-48 experiment on high-energy physics at CERN. This measurement is important for correct execution of the experiment. A set of SnO2 sensors was used to the purpose for on-line information on helium purity within the required accuracy.
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Papers by Ferruccio Petrucci