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

With the ability to analyze and visualize local resolved texture by neutron imaging a great tool is created for better understanding of the history of the material (cultural heritage sample). It is important knowledge for any kind of manufactured material like jewelry, weapons, sculpture … as the texture shows the manufacturing history. In addition archeological samples embedded in rocks and stones will show the history of the environment in terms of deformation, sedimentation and metamorphosis conditions. All the texture information is available nondestructive and in combination with the real space 3D model. In order to establish texture imaging by neutron radiation, the method has to be developed and tested from simple basic textured material (single crystal and single phase) in small steps to more advanced systems like rolled or recrystallizes metal samples and finally geological samples with multiphase systems and large variation in grain size. A set of wavelength dependent neutron radiography images under certain orientations is needed to calculate the ODF and understand the texture. To determine the sufficient number of single images for ODF calculation several test materials with different known textures are required. This has to be developed in an iterative process from single crystal orientation to polycrystalline multiphase and multitexture material as especially geological samples represent the most complex textures. As an important outcome a user-friendly software package should be available which should be tested at different facilities with different type of samples. Consistent results from these facilities are strongly required to encourage the cultural heritage community in accepting the method. The typical end user has only basic knowledge of texture and neutron imaging and has to rely on the correctness of the measurement and analyses