Femtosecond lasers: diagnostics and conservation applications in art and archaeology

In this presentation recent research results from the use of femtosecond-LIBS for the analysis of pigments in paintings and the investigation of archaeological bronze objects are presented and compared to nanosecond-laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy. The use of femtosecond laser pulses in the ultraviolet, for carrying out analysis of solids at a distance, is briefly described and its potential for remote analysis of sculpture and monuments is discussed