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An unusual application of fundamental physics : the mystery of Napoleon death. Ettore Fiorini Trento , Nov.19, 2008. Advanced instrumentation for fundamental physics => archaeometry.
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An unusual application of fundamental physics : the mystery of Napoleon death Ettore Fiorini Trento , Nov.19, 2008 Advancedinstrumentationforfundamentalphysics => archaeometry Searchesfor rare eventstobecarried out underground and under low environmental and “internal” radioactivity Oneof the mainproblem => study and suppressionof the background at anextremelevel => examples Solarneutrinos=> fewinteractions Interactionsof WIMPS =>conting rate in the low energyregion Double beta decay=> counting rate in the regionof 2-3 MeV Ettore Fiorini, Trento
Experiments CUORE and CUORICINO Measurements of trace elements environmenthsal physics industry medical physics archaeometrfy Ettore Fiorini, Trento
Howtorekognize the presenceoffewdisturbingelements If they are radioactive => a and g ray spectroscopy In any case : • Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy (ICPMS) In some case Laser Ablation (LA ICPMS) • Neutron Activation Analysis Could sometimes reach the best sensitivity Recent results of neutron activation analysis on Roman Lead Lead is an excellent shielding material: • High atomic number • Reasonable mechanical properties • Reasonable cost It contains however 210 Pb active with an half lifetime of 22.3 years Especially dangerous for searches on WIMPS.Low energy counting rates Ettore Fiorini, Trento
Alpha andbetadecay of 238U 238U92 4.467 e9 a => 234Th90 24.10 d => 234Pa91 6.69 h =>234U92 2.46 e5 a 230Th92 7.54 e4 a => 226Ra88 1.60 e3 a => 222Rn86 3.8235 d 218Po84 0.145 s => 214Pb8210.64 h => 214Bi83 19.9 m => 214Po84163.7 m 210Pb82 22.3 a => 210Bi835.01d => 210Po84 138.38 ms => 206Pb82(stable) Ettore Fiorini, Trento
No evidence of 210Pb in Roman lead found in a Roman “Navis oneraria magna” Ettore Fiorini, Trento
Alpha andbetadecay of 238U 238U924.467 e9 a => 234Th9024.10 d => 234Pa916.69 h => 234U92 2.46 e5 a => 230Th92 => 7.54 e4 a => 226Ra88 1.60 e3 a => 222Rn86 => 3.8235 d => 218Po840.145 s => 214Pb8210.64 h => 214Bi83 19.9 m => 214Po84163.7 m s => 210Pb82 22.3 a => 210Bi835.01d => 210Po84138.38 => 206Pb82 (stable) Ettore Fiorini, Trento
No presenceof210 Pb< 4 m Bq/kg) , what about U and Th ?Whith neutron activation analysis < 10-12 g/g Particularly sensitive to search for Asonly stable isotope 75Assthermal neutrons = 4.3 barns => 76As => beta t = 26.3 d and emission of a 559.1 keV g ray Ettore Fiorini, Trento
Il cinque maggio .........e i dì nell'ozio chiuse in sì breve sponda,segno d'immensa invidiae di pietà profonda,d'inestinguibil odioe d'indomato amor. The useofourpowerfulmethodto investigate the presenceofofarsenic in hairsofhistoricalorigin Arsenic, likeotherheavymetalsconcentrates in hairs Itspresenceusedin criminology. Manypreviousmeasurements => poorinstrumentation and ofteninconclusiveresult High schoolremembranceof Alessandro Manzoni The fifthof May.........and hisidledaysclosed in such a short site,target of immense envyand ofdeeppity,ofunchangedhateand ofuntamable love Ettore Fiorini, Trento
Saint Helene Ettore Fiorini, Trento
h THE TRUTH GOES THROUGH THREE STAGES: First, it is ridiculed;Second, it is violently attacked; Finally, it is accepted as self-evident. Who Murdered Napoleon? Probably Nobody! By H.Blair Ettore Fiorini, Trento
Previous results Assasination strongly substained by B.Weider and P.Hapgood initially based on Neutron activation measurements at Harwell on suggestion of S.Forthuvud 10 – 38 ppm of As , later 11 – 3 ppm and time distribution (no error) Ettore Fiorini, Trento
The Longwood house Ettore Fiorini, Trento
Later negative measurements Measurement on the tapisserieof the Longwood House • X-rayfluorescenceanalysison the paper on the walls • 0.08 g cm-2a valuepresently non acceptable Ettore Fiorini, Trento
Other negative results • Neutronactivation (2.5 x 10 11 ncm-2 s-1for 15 hours) with g rayspectroscopy => 1.4 ±1.2 ppm. Assumes no poisoning • Neutronactivationwithgrayspectroscopy • => Elba Isle1.85 ±.11 ppm. • => Saint Helene3.5 ± 0.18 ppm and 33.3 ± 0. 2.2 ppm (bad treatment) • A living man and woman 32 ± 3 and 33 ± 2 ppb • Assumes no poisoning • Neutronactivationwithgrayspectroscopy (Saclay, unpublished) • => Saint HeleneTwohairswithanaverageof4.5 ppm B.Weider insists AtomicAbsorptionSpectroscopy (P.Kinz) => 6.99 – 58.53 ppm FBI (neutronactivationanalysis on twohairs) => 33.3 and 14 ppm Ettore Fiorini, Trento
Ourexperiment (stronglysuportedby INFN) • A multisciplinaryresearchgroup • The sameprecisionas in neutrino physics • Onlyhystorical material fromcertifiedinstitutions • Mainlyduringvacations (with the exclusionofneutronactivation) • Massimiliano Clemenza, Ettore Fiorini, Laura Guerra, Costanza Herborg, Massimo Labra, Edoardo Orvini, Adalberto Piazzoli, Ezio Previtali, Francesco Puggioni, Angela Santagostino • Fundamentalphysics– Neutronactivation – Toxicologists– Hystorian • Allneutronactivationscarried out at the TRIGA Mark II of the Laboratorio di Energia Nucleare Applicata of the Pavia University • (thermalneutronfluxof1.2 1013 n cm-2 s-1 • grayspectroscopyin Milano-Bicocca and Pavia and measurementof the hair mass in Milano-Bicocca Ettore Fiorini, Trento
Hystoricalmaterialsused in thissearchFrom the Napoleonic (Rome), Glauco Lombardi (Parma) and Malmaison (Paris) Museums Capello Massa (mg) Capello Massa (mg) Odierno 1 0,122 Aiglon 1826 1 0,138 Odierno 2 0,112 Aiglon 1826 2 0,108 Odierno 3 0,096 Napoleone Corsica 1 0,180 Odierno 4 0,138 Napoleone Corsica 2 0,274 Odierno 5 0,220 Napoleone Elba 1 0,232 Odierno 6 0,066 Napoleone Elba 2 0.188 Odierno 7 0,118 Napoleone S. Elena 5 maggio 1 0,126 Odierno 8 0.126 Napoleone S. Elena 5 maggio 2 0,166 Odierno 9 0,148 Napoleone S. Elena 5 maggio 3 0,090 Odierno 10 0,230 Napoleone S. Elena 5 maggio 4 0,130 Aiglon 1812 1 0,106 Napoleone S. Elena 5 maggio 5 0,224 Aiglon 1812 2 0,088 Napoleone S. Elena 5 maggio 6 0,148 Aiglon 1816 1 0,132 Napoleone S. Elena 6 maggio 1 0,254 Aiglon 1816 2 0,104 Napoleone S. Elena 6 maggio 2 0,328 Aiglon 1821 1 0,078 Josephine 1 0,268 Aiglon 1821 2 0,060 Josephine 2 0,294 Ettore Fiorini, Trento
Certifiedcalibratedstandardshavebeenused Ettore Fiorini, Trento
Measurements on the As content in the hairsof a living subject, and comparisonwith the content in the hairsof the Aiglon and ofEmpressJosephine Contemporary hair As(in 10-2 ppm) Present 1 8,6 ±,9 Present 2 5,6 ± 1,8 Present 3 11,0 ± 3,5 Present 4 12,4 ± 3,9 Present 5 2,4 ± 1,1 Present 6 7,1 ± 2,8 Present 7 5,4 ± 1,7 Present 8 4,0 ± 1,4 Present 9 4,3 ± 3,1 Present 10 4,8 ± 2 Aignon and Josephine As (in ppm) Aiglon 1812 - 1 9,4 ± 1,0 Aiglon 1812 - 2 6,1 ± 0,6 Aiglon 1816 - 1 12,6 ± 1,3 Aiglon 1816 - 2 9,9 ± 1,0 Aiglon 1821 - 1 9,9 ± 1,1 Aiglon 1821 - 2 11,2 ± 1,3 Aiglon 1826 - 1 7,6 ± 0,8 Aiglon 1826 - 2 8,5 ± 0,9 Josephine - 1 0,8 ± 0,4 Josephine – 2 1,2 ± 0,5 Ettore Fiorini, Trento
Arsenic in the hairsof the Emperor As (in ppm) Corse 1770 – 1 8.3± 0,9 Corse 1770 - 2 6,3 ± 0,7 Elba 1814 – 1 4,4 ± 0,5 Elba 1814 - 2 3,5 ± 0,4 S. Elene 5 May 1821 - 1 13,1 ± 1,3 S. Elene 5 May 1821 - 2 16,7 ± 1,7 S. Elene 5 May 1821 - 3 14,2 ± 1,4 S. Elene 5 May 1821 - 4 17,0 ± 1,7 S. Elene 5 May 1821 - 5 15,4 ± 2,3 S. Elene 5 May 1821 - 6 18,9 ± 2,2 S. Elene 6 May 1821 - 1 15,2 ± 2,0 S. Elene 6 May 1821 – 2 9,7 ± 1, Ettore Fiorini, Trento
Changeof the contaminationalong the hair(the mass hasdecreased due toirradiation) Fragment Mass (mg) As ( ppm) 2A 0,012 27,6 ± 3,0 2B 0,022 22,0 ± 2,5 2C 0,026 21,4 ± 2,5 2D 0,032 17,5 ± 2,0 2E 0,032 16,6 ± 1,9 2F 0,026 20,7 ± 2,4 Ettore Fiorini, Trento
Arseniccontentin the water of the springlikedby the Emperor(nearhis first grave) Ettore Fiorini, Trento
Sample As (μg/L) N.1 1,0000 N.2 1,5000 N.3 2,0000 N.4 1,2500 N.5 1,1000 N.6 0,8000 Average 1,28 ± .43 Presently legally accepted limit => 10 Arsenic intake from medicines and definirtely from paper on walls , but not from water Ettore Fiorini, Trento
Hope to have finished , butNapoleon strikes again:Large impact in the national and international press (more than 100 newspapers)Recent paper on the New York Times Hair Analysis Deflates Napoleon Poisoning Theories Was Napoleon poisoned? now, a team of scientists at Italy’s National Institute of Nuclear Physics in Milan-Bicocca and Pavia has uncovered strong evidence to the contrary. Ettore Fiorini, Trento
Contact with many toxicologists: J.T.Hindmarsh Royal College of Phatologists of England and Canada and P.F.Corso Norwalk Hospitala (Connecticut) A.Lugli Department of Pathology – Basel University • Very precise pathological analysis • Change of the weight with time from 12 samples of trousers (checked with volunteers) • Connection of the weight with subcutaneous fat from authopsy of 270 patients • Comparison of pictures of gastric lesions and other features of patients dyying of cancer with the very detailed authopsy of Francesco Antonmarchi (pupil of the famous Giuseppe Macagni of Siena University) Ettore Fiorini, Trento
Conclusions A.Lugli et al In conclusion, we believe that the original autopsy findings and our analysis of Napoleon’s lifetime weight changes provide strong support for the hypothesis that Napoleon’s final defeat was caused by gastric cancer. Us Our measurements on hairs of presently living people indicate a presence of arsenictwo order of magnitude less than those of hystorical people The procedure to attribute the large amount of Arsenic in Napoleon hairs to state his poisoning is wrong The arsenic presence in the larger sample of hairs of Napoleon after his death ever measured is in agreement among the various components and comparable to those measured in the King of Rome in four different period of his life The concentration of arsenic in Napoleon hairs in Saint Helene is larger than he was in in the Elba Isle , but is not such to justify the criminal hypothesis which would require a concentration of 45 ppm or larger. This is confirmed by the concentration with time along one hair and indicate a cronic exposure due to environmental reasons Previous and present detailed clinical analisis strongly confirm our results Ettore Fiorini, Trento