Art and Nuclear Astrophysics

Accelerators can probe artwork's origins.
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  1. Proton-Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) - A nondestructive tool that identifies the elements that making up a sample of art or an artifact using electromagnetic radiation.
  2. Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) - A technique that uses particle accelerators to measure traces of radioactive atoms in tiny samples to help determine the age of artifacts.
  3. Nuclear astrophysics - A branch of science in which nuclear physicists and astrophysicists work closely together to study topics such as the life cycle of stars.