USA: Overview of activities on Neutron Imaging (NI) and Cultural Heritage (CH) studies

Neutron imaging is an ideal tool in cultural heritage applications: It is a non-destructive technique that can penetrate several cm of metal. These features allow, for example, to investigate metal cast sculptures by exposing their inner structure. This way manufacturing procedures could be revealed, which may also provide information about knowledge transfer between different cultures. The University of California, Davis (UCD) operates the McClellan Nuclear Research Center (MNRC), a nuclear reactor-based research facility. MNRC is a 2 Megawatts (MW) TRIGATM (Training, Research and Isotope Production General Atomic) reactor, originally built and operated by the United States Air Force for the primary purpose of detecting low-level corrosion and hidden defects in aircraft structures using non-destructive testing techniques. In 2000, the center was acquired by UCD for continuing operations to support nuclear education, research, and applications