Fotakis, Costas; Anglos, D.; Zafiropulos, V.; Georgiou, Savas; Tornari, Vivi

The work's grouped and bibliographic historical presentation of the development of lasers in the field of cultural heritage, as well as the synopses and summaries are particularly useful. There is certainly also an abundance of characteristic and interesting applications. ... The contributors offer a very serious piece of fieldwork, utilising scientific experience, technological expertise, and the results of individual works on the subject in question. Overall, this is a balanced presentation. The study is excellent reading for anyone interested in the area of cultural heritage - especially those working in the fields of conservation science, archaeology and art history - and, of course, researchers. -Nikolaos E. Myridis, Contemporary Physics, May 2012 The book ... describes how laser parameters associated with cleaning are chosen and the physics involved in various surface ablation processes. Key conservation practices are also addressed, such as removal of black encrustation from stone, varnish from paintings, and the laser cleaning of metals and paper. It details the use and benefit of diagnostics tools such as LIBS, Raman spectroscopy, and holography. -Ed Teppo, Founder and Former President of Big Sky Laser Technologies, Inc. The book is well-written and well-organized, with many up-to-date references and an informative and comprehensive index. Both laser and artwork conservationists will find it most useful. -Dejan Pantelic, Optics & Photonics News, July/ August 2008, Vol. 19, No. 7/8 ... succeeds in its ambitious goals of pulling together a wide range of laser-based applications in the cultural heritage field and presenting the material so that it is accessible at different levels. The authors deserve much credit for succeeding, and for providing a valuable source of information for those who have an interest in the preservation of artworks. I strongly recommend the book both to novices and to more experienced researchers. -Martin Cooper, Physics Today, December 2007

• Introduction. Fundamentals of the Laser Diagnostics and Interactions with Matter. Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS): Cultural Heritage Applications. Raman Spectroscopy in Cultural Heritage. Laser Interferometry for Structural Diagnostics. Overview of Laser Processing and Cleaning Methods. Laser Cleaning of Polymerized Substrates: Removal of Surface Resin from Paintings. Laser Cleaning of Encrustations. Laser Cleaning of Other Materials.

Fotakis, Costas; Anglos, D.; Zafiropulos, V.; Georgiou, Savas; Tornari, Vivi

The work's grouped and bibliographic historical presentation of the development of lasers in the field of cultural heritage, as well as the synopses and summaries are particularly useful. There is certainly also an abundance of characteristic and interesting applications. ... The contributors offer a very serious piece of fieldwork, utilising scientific experience, technological expertise, and the results of individual works on the subject in question. Overall, this is a balanced presentation. The study is excellent reading for anyone interested in the area of cultural heritage - especially those working in the fields of conservation science, archaeology and art history - and, of course, researchers. -Nikolaos E. Myridis, Contemporary Physics, May 2012 The book ... describes how laser parameters associated with cleaning are chosen and the physics involved in various surface ablation processes. Key conservation practices are also addressed, such as removal of black encrustation from stone, varnish from paintings, and the laser cleaning of metals and paper. It details the use and benefit of diagnostics tools such as LIBS, Raman spectroscopy, and holography. -Ed Teppo, Founder and Former President of Big Sky Laser Technologies, Inc. The book is well-written and well-organized, with many up-to-date references and an informative and comprehensive index. Both laser and artwork conservationists will find it most useful. -Dejan Pantelic, Optics & Photonics News, July/ August 2008, Vol. 19, No. 7/8 ... succeeds in its ambitious goals of pulling together a wide range of laser-based applications in the cultural heritage field and presenting the material so that it is accessible at different levels. The authors deserve much credit for succeeding, and for providing a valuable source of information for those who have an interest in the preservation of artworks. I strongly recommend the book both to novices and to more experienced researchers. -Martin Cooper, Physics Today, December 2007

• Introduction. Fundamentals of the Laser Diagnostics and Interactions with Matter. Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS): Cultural Heritage Applications. Raman Spectroscopy in Cultural Heritage. Laser Interferometry for Structural Diagnostics. Overview of Laser Processing and Cleaning Methods. Laser Cleaning of Polymerized Substrates: Removal of Surface Resin from Paintings. Laser Cleaning of Encrustations. Laser Cleaning of Other Materials.