INP's activities on Ion-Beam Applications
The INP group has a long-term expertise (since
mid 70's) in the development of analytical techniques based on
nuclear methodology and instrumentation often combined with X-Ray
spectrometry. These activities are related to cultural heritage,
biomedicine, and environmental studies.
In the field of cultural
heritage, the activities of the group include:
- Development of a novel micro-analytical technique known as 3D
Micro-PIXE. This technique was first applied in vacuum in the
framework of a joint experiment at the Micro-Analytical Center of
Jožef Stefan Institute in Ljubljana, Slovenia. It was then
employed under atmospheric pressure in a subsequent experiment (March
2007) using the external proton micro-beam of the AGLAE accelerator at
the Centre de Recherche et de Restauration de Museés de France,
Paris, France. The latter activity was supported by the FP6/Eu-ARTECH
trans-national access program.
- Development and application of an external ion-beam set-up for
non-destructive analyses.
- Development of an external ion-beam end-station for the combined
implementation of the PIXE, RBS and PIGE techniques.
- Development, evaluation and application of portable X-Ray
Fluorescence (XRF) instruments for the non-destructive analysis of
cultural materials.
- Development of analytical methodologies and standardization
procedures to improve the quality of the analytical information
obtained by ion-beam and X-Ray Fluorescence
techniques
- Performance evaluation studies of tagging technologies. These are
often applied to ensure the identity of replicas or the authenticity
of original objects/artworks using ion-beam
technologies.
- Application of XRF to non-invasive advanced characterization of
ancient or historical artifacts/artworks and diagnosis of the state of
preservation of artifacts exhibited at the museum showcase or
storehouse in order to support conservation
treatments.
- Application of Nuclear Reaction Analysis (NRA) for elemental depth
profiling (depth profile of a) sulfur and copper in artificially
prepared patina layers and b) hydrogen and sodium in ancient
glass).
- In addition to these activities, the INP group has developed an
advanced and unique expertise in surveying in-situ monuments
(such as funeral tombs) as well as archaeological collections
comprising metallic objects, ceramics, painted plasters, and
polychromic marbles. This expertise was demonstrated in different
museums and archaeological sites across Greece, including: Ancient
Messene, the Nestor "Palace" in Messenia, Ancient Korinth,
Archaeological Museum of Nauplio city, National Archaeological Museum
in Athens, Delos, Museum of Vergina, Macedonia, Greece etc. The INP
group has, furthermore, implemented a state-of-the art trans(portable)
micro-XRF spectrometer in surveying ancient or historic metal artefact
collections across the Mediterranean region including the Armoury
palace in Malta, the Damascus archaeological Museum in Syria,
Numismatic Museum at the Yarmouk University and from the Umm Qais site
in Jordan and others. Some of these in-citu analyses are shown in
figure 3 below. These research activities have also been accompanied
by technology transfer to end-users, through the organizations of
training courses for conservators and the development of dedicated
large-beam mobile XRF spectrometers, notably for the Greek Ministry of
Culture (Stone conservation Centre and Archaeological Museum of
Volos), the Benaki (private) Museum in Athens, the Institute of
Materials Science of NCSR "Demokritos", and others.
In the field of environmental research, the activities
of the INP group included:
- Chemical state analysis of samples employing sub-natural
line-width resolution PIXE measurement of the Kα
diagram line. The work was performed in the framework of a
Greek-Slovenia bilateral collaboration (2001-2003), by implementing
PIXE in combination with a high-resolution crystal spectrometer in
Johansson geometry. The technique developed enables energy resolution
below the natural line-width of the ion-induced Kα
diagram lines of the elements. The potential of the analytical
methodology developed in chemical speciation studies was demonstrated
via the speciation of sulfur in an aerosol filter.
- A complete systematic study of the concentrations of all inorganic
elements contained in Greek lignite and fly ash. This study was
performed in the framework of the European program CI1*-CT91-0858
"Trace elements in coal". The analysis of fractionated
fly-ash samples and individual fly-ash particles revealed for the
first time, interesting information about the distribution of toxic
trace elements in fly ash particles of small size.
- Systematic measurements of the concentrations of about thirty-five
inorganic elements in a large number of soil samples from the area of
the old (now closed) Athens airport. These measurements were performed
on behalf of the Hellenic Ministry for the Environment, Physical
Planning and Public Works, using XRF and ion-beam analytical
methods. They aimed at the assessment of the toxicity level of the
area (possibly caused by its earlier use by aircrafts and related
services) in view of its future use as a a residential park. In this
framework, an analytical technique based on Deuteron Induced Gamma-ray
Emission (DIGE) was developed and applied at the Tandem accelerator of INP
enabling the determination of beryllium in geological samples.
In the field of biomedicine, the activities of the INP
group have, so far, focussed on the development of novel analytical
methods aiming at determining trace elements in human tissues or
fluids through efficient, precise and accurate application of energy
dispersive fluorescence (ED-XRF) and ion beams. The following
characteristic examples are, hereby, reported:
- Determination of uranium in human urine by applying a
pre-concentration method resulting in detection limits competitive
with alpha spectrometry that is suitable for controlling uranium
uptake by human above the normal threshold levels.
- Determination of low-trace platinum levels in the blood
circulation of mice after its administration either via aqueous
cis-platin solution or in the form of Pt nano-particles.
- Trace element metabolic studies in patients being in various
stages of renal failure.
- Development of a database including representative trace element
concentrations for blood, serum and plasma of the Greek
population.
- Application of Proton-Induced γ-Ray Emission (PIGE) for
fluorine analysis in teeth and beryllium analysis in dental
alloys.
Apart from the research activities described above, the INP group has
also been collaborating with almost all Greek universities and other
research centers. Research groups from the National Technical
University of Athens (NTUA), the National University of Athens (UoA),
the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), the University of
Ioannina (UoI), as well as from the Institute of Materials Science
(IMS), the Institute of Microelectronics (IMEL) and the Institute of
Nuclear Technology and Radiation Protection (INT-RP) of
"Demokritos" and, recently, groups from the National
Hellenic Research Foundation (NHRF) and the University of Crete (UoC)
are performing joint experiments with the INP group at the INP Tandem
accelerator to a) study properties of materials of technological
interest subjected to irradiations, b) test the response of detectors,
some of which are used in high-energy physics experiments, to
high-dose charged-particle and neutron irradiations, c) measure cross
sections of charged-particle induced reactions applied in material
analysis, d) analyze materials for nuclear waste applications, e)
measure neutron-induced reaction cross sections for ADS systems
(within the n_TOF collaboration) and f) perform atmospheric-pollution
related analyses. These joint activities have been documented by a
significant number of collaboration papers. A detailed description of
these activities is beyond the scope of the present
presentation.
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