Unable to open this heavily corroded, likely 12th-century pendant—but curious about what's inside—scientists turned to neutron tomography for answers.
ARSTECHNICA.COM
Neutron imaging revealed the secrets of this gold-plated medieval pendant
Neutron tomography is a form of computed tomography involving the production of three-dimensional images by the detection of the absorbance of neutrons produced by a neutron source.[1] It creates a three-dimensional image of an object by combining multiple planar images with a known separation.[2] It has a resolution of down to 25 μm.[3][4] Whilst its resolution is lower than that of X-ray tomography, it can be useful for specimens containing low contrast between the matrix and object of interest; for instance, fossils with a high carbon content, such as plants or vertebrate remains.[5]
Neutron tomography can have the unfortunate side-effect of leaving imaged samples radioactive if they contain appreciable levels of certain elements such as cobalt,[5] however in practice this neutron activation is low and short-lived such that the method is considered non-destructive.
