RESUMEN
A full field-X-ray camera (FF-XRC) was developed for performing the simultaneous mapping of chemical elements with a high lateral resolution. The device is based on a conventional CCD detector coupled to a straight shaped polycapillary. Samples are illuminated at once with a broad primary beam that can consist of X-rays or charged particles in two different analytical setups. The characteristic photons induced in the samples are guided by the polycapillary to the detector allowing the elemental imaging without the need for scanning. A single photon counting detection operated in a multiframe acquisition mode and a processing algorithm developed for event hitting reconstruction have enabled one to use the CCD as a high energy resolution X-ray detector. A novel software with a graphical user interface (GUI) programmed in Matlab allows full control of the device and the real-time imaging with a region-of-interest (ROI) method. At the end of the measurement, the software produces spectra for each of the pixels in the detector allowing the application of a least-squares fitting with external analytical tools. The FF-XRC is very compact and can be installed in different experimental setups. This work shows the potentialities of the instrument in both a full field-micro X-ray fluorescence (FF-MXRF) tabletop device and in a full field-micro particle induced X-ray emission (FF-MPIXE) end-station operated with an external proton beam. Some examples of applications are given as well.
RESUMEN
This work describes a tabletop (50 cm × 25 cm × 25 cm) full field X-ray pinhole camera (FF-XPC) presenting high energy- and high spatial-resolution. The FF-XPC consists of a conventional charge-coupled device (CCD) detector coupled, in a coaxial geometry, to a pinhole collimator of small diameter. The X-ray fluorescence (XRF) is induced on the samples with an external low-power X-ray tube. The use of the CCD as an energy dispersive X-ray detector was obtained by adopting a multi-image acquisition in single photon counting and by developing a processing algorithm to be applied in real-time to each of the acquired image-frames. This approach allowed the measurement of X-ray spectra with an energy resolution down to 133 eV at the reference value of 5.9 keV. The detection of the X-ray fluorescence through the pinhole-collimator allowed the two-dimensional elemental mapping of the irradiated samples. Two magnifications (M), determined by the relative sample-pinhole-CCD distances, are used in the present setup. A low value of M (equal to 0.35×) allows the macro-FF-XRF of large area samples (up to 4 × 4 cm(2)) with a spatial resolution down to 140 µm; a large magnification (M equal to 6×) is used for the micro-FF-XRF of small area samples (2.5 × 2.5 mm(2)) with a spatial resolution down to 30 µm.
RESUMEN
Just two examples of writings by the hand of S. Francesco are known to exist: a letter to Brother Leone, kept in the archives of Spoleto cathedral and the Chartula, displayed in the Hall of Reliquaries at Assisi's Sacro Convento. For the first time in its history the Chartula has undergone a series of non-destructive analyses, with the object of establishing its current state of conservation and the types of inks used in its making. A new display case has been designed and built for the improved conservation of this precious document. The new housing substitutes an ancient case, which was located inside the original reliquary.