SYNCHROTRON-RADIATION MICROTOMOGRAPHY FOR THE NON-DESTRUCTIVE STRUCTURAL EVALUATION OF BOWED STRINGED INSTRUMENTS

Feasibility studies have been car ried out at the SYRMEPbeamline of the Elettra synchrotron laborator y in Triestewith the aim of demonstrating the advantages and evaluatingthe ef fectiveness of synchrotron radiation X-raymicrotomography as a suitable technique for nondestructiveanalysis of bowed stringed instr uments. T heparticular geometr y of the X-ray beam and the use of anovel detector allow structural evaluation of the maindetails of the instruments with unprecedented richnessof details. This, in turn, will allow precise dendrochronologicalinvestigation of historical violins, as well as thecharacterization of their structure, defects, wood thicknessand density.