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Depth-Dependent Bulk Elemental Analysis Using Negative Muons

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Handbook of Cultural Heritage Analysis

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Abstract

The use of muonic X-rays for cultural heritage studies has steadily increased over the past few years. This includes investigations ranging from ancient coins to statues to meteorites to biomaterials. These studies use negative muons, which with a controllable momentum have a well-defined implantation depth (from microns to cm). This technique has many similarities to X-ray fluorescence, except that the negative muon has a mass ~200 times greater than that of an electron. This results in the emission of high energy X-rays in the range of 10s keV to 8 MeV. Therefore enabling elements from Li and upwards (in Z) being easily observed. Also, elements next to each other in the periodic table can be distinguished. Moreover, the final interaction with the negative muon and the nucleus can cause the emission of isotope specific gammas. Thus, enabling the possibility of isotope analysis. This chapter is a general introduction to the technique followed by a range of examples. This hopefully showcases the basics and the power of this unique and increasingly popular technique.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. ISIS Facility, STFC Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Oxford, Didcot, UK

    Adrian D. Hillier & Beth Hampshire

  2. Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK

    Beth Hampshire

  3. RIKEN Nishina Center, RIKEN, Wako, Saitama, Japan

    Katsu Ishida

Authors
  1. Adrian D. Hillier
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  2. Beth Hampshire
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  3. Katsu Ishida
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Adrian D. Hillier .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geosciences, University of Malta, Msida, Malta

    Sebastiano D'Amico

  2. University of Messina, Messina, Italy

    Valentina Venuti

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Hillier, A.D., Hampshire, B., Ishida, K. (2022). Depth-Dependent Bulk Elemental Analysis Using Negative Muons. In: D'Amico, S., Venuti, V. (eds) Handbook of Cultural Heritage Analysis. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-60016-7_3

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