C6251 Lasers in cultural heritage preservation

Faculty of Science
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
2/0/0. 2 credit(s) (plus extra credits for completion). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
Mgr. Aleš Hrdlička, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Mgr. Ing. Lubomír Prokeš, Ph.D. (lecturer)
doc. Mgr. Karel Novotný, Ph.D. (alternate examiner)
Guaranteed by
doc. Mgr. Karel Novotný, Ph.D.
Department of Chemistry – Chemistry Section – Faculty of Science
Contact Person: prof. RNDr. Jiří Příhoda, CSc.
Supplier department: Department of Chemistry – Chemistry Section – Faculty of Science
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is offered to students of any study field.
Course objectives
Main goal of the course is to inform students about principles and applications of optical methods, mainly lasers, in the protection of cultural heritage.
Learning outcomes
After the completion of this course the student will be able to independently select an appropriate optical method for documentation, conservation, cleaning and analysis of an object of cultural heritage in a laboratory and also on the spot of discovery in both contact and stand-off modes.
Syllabus
  • 1.Principle of laser, properties of laser irradiation, laser types used in the cultural heritage protection; interaction of laser beam with material.
  • 2.Plasma induced by laser, ultrasound. Diagnostics of laser plasma.
  • 3.Chemical reactions (pyrolysis, polymerization, cluster formation, … ) and degradation of materials by effect of laser.
  • 4.LIBS a LIF, interference (spectral and non-spectral), application of methods.
  • 5.Checking of cleaning process, deposition using LIBS, acoustic signal etc.
  • 6.Laser desorption of organic molecules (MALDI), laser ablation (with ICP), laser micropyrolysis (with GC-MS).
  • 7.Ablation in liquids, laser plasma in liquids, cavitation caused by laser.
  • 8.LIBS of solids in liquid media (analysis of artifacts under water) and analysis of suspensions and solutions. 9.Removing of corrosion products and undesirable surface preparations.
  • 10.Laser deposition of anticorrosive and protecting layers. Formation of coatings.
  • 11.Chemical synthesis by using laser.
  • 12.Advanced applications: measuring in longer distances by LIBS a LIF (diagnostics of building structures), LIDAR and its application in archaeological prospection.
  • 13.Connection of LIBS with Raman spectroscopy (microscopy) - pigment identification.
  • 14.Monitoring of artifact surface quality by interferometry.
  • 15.Exploitation of holographic techniques and scanning in survey, documentation and presentation of cultural heritage.
Literature
  • Siegman A. E.: Lasers. University Science Books, Mill Valley 1986.
  • Engst P., Horák M.: Aplikace laserů. SNTL, Praha 1989
  • Cooper M. (ed.): Laser Cleaning in Conservation. An Introduction. Butterworth – Heinemann, Oxford 1998.
Teaching methods
lectures
Assessment methods
colloquium; oral examination
Language of instruction
Czech
Further Comments
The course is taught: every week.
The course is also listed under the following terms Spring 2011 - only for the accreditation, Spring 2008, Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, spring 2012 - acreditation, Spring 2014, Spring 2015, Spring 2016, spring 2018, Spring 2019, Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022, Spring 2023, Spring 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (recent)
  • Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/sci/spring2025/C6251