Learning objectives
The course aims to provide fundamental knowledge for understanding the most
important spectroscopic techniques used in diagnostic investigations of the cultural
heritage.
Students will acquire the essential notions to enable them to use laboratory
spectroscopy techniques, and will be able to identify pigments and/or minerals from
Raman or FT-IT measurements independently and from comparison with
spectroscopy databases.
Prerequisites
Attendance of courses in Experimental Physics and Introduction to Modern Physics
Course unit content
Spectroscopy and rudiments of quantum mechanics
Vibrational Spectroscopy Techniques
Full programme
Electromagnetic radiation and interactions with matter - Photons - Energy
transitions - Atomic spectroscopy - Absorption and emission - Vibrational
Spectroscopies - IR absorption - Raman - FTIR techniques - Micro-Raman -
Molecular spectroscopy - UV-VIS - XRF - X-ray fluorescence - X-ray absorption -
Thermoluminescence - LIBS (Light Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy) - notes on
XPS (X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy) - notes on NMR - Nuclear magnetic
resonance - notes on Mossbauer effect
Optics – Interferences and diffraction – Spectroscopy techniques and instruments –
Simple experiments in spectrum analysis – UV and VIS absorption – Vibrational
spectroscopy techniques: Raman and FT-IR, MicroRaman and FT-IR ATR – Case
studies – Minerals, pigments, colourants.
Bibliography
Notes and information provided by the professor
Teaching methods
Oral lesson
and experiments both in teaching and research laboratories
(Raman and FT-IR).
Assessment methods and criteria
Oral examination with discussion of the technique to case studies
Evaluation of a written report on a proposed experiment and follow-up identifying
types of pigments in artefacts by means of vibrational spectroscopy
Other information
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