Grants and Contributions:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year (2017-2018 to 2018-2019).

In the last few decades, a large effort has been put into applying innovative Physics and Chemistry research techniques for diagnostic and conservation of objects of interest for Cultural Heritage: The UNESCO has put this topic as a priority in its future programs and also in Canada and Quebec there is a strong claim to develop this emerging field (e.g. law on the preservation of Cultural Heritage from 19 October 2012). As such, many groups worldwide are currently exploring the possibility of developing equipment for the diagnostic and conservation of artifacts where the main challenge is to obtain the most information available without creating damage. The most efficient and favored diagnostic technique is the sophisticated (and expensive) Proton Induced X-ray and Gamma Emission (PIXE and PIGE), which is based on the use of a conventional proton accelerator. Besides being of very limited access due to its costs, unfortunately this technology provokes damage to the artifact due to the long irradiation of the sample (up to tens of minutes per probing point). This proposal aims at performing a market study related to development and commercialization of a new PIXE technique based on laser-accelerated protons. Laser-based proton acceleration has the advantage of having a much shorter bunch length (typically it is ps at the source), a very high flux (typically 10e13 particles per bunch) and a large particle energy spectrum (ranging up to a few MeV). As such, using this novel source allows for different improvements in the diagnostic technique: (1) a complete chemical analysis on a larger volume of the artworks given the divergent laser-driven proton source (analyzed surface in the order of cm2); (2) a deeper and more precise "layer by layer" analysis, obtainable by tuning the beam energy from few MeV to tens of MeV within a very short timescale; (3) and produces a higher punctual dose (depending on the facility, obtained in one or more shots); (4) provokes a similar if not less damage when probing the sample (due to the much shorter proton bunch length). We strongly believe that a market study for this new technology is extremely timely and will contribute to understand the innovation potential for the Canadian stakeholders.