How the periodic table makes it possible to trace the history of objects and works

The AGLAE Louvre particle accelerator: How the periodic table makes it possible to trace the history of objects and works.

The composition of chemical elements contained in ancient objects is an intimate reflection of their entire history. The particle accelerator installed at the Louvre (AGLAE*) is the only one in the world within a museum and dedicated to the study of heritage objects. Radiation (X-rays, gamma rays, charged particles) emitted by matter under the impact of incident particles (protons, helium nuclei, deuterium nuclei) makes it possible to identify, quantify and map all the chemical elements contained in these materials. The different traces constitute a real chemical "fingerprint" that makes it possible to trace the entire history of the object, from the origin of the constituent materials to the manufacturing processes and alteration processes... and also to detect forgeries.