X-rays

X-rays, or Röntgen rays, are very high frequency waves on the electromagnetic spectrum, with wavelengths between 10 nm and 10 pm. This ionizing radiation is produced by specific sources and can cause ionization of atoms or molecules, which means it cause damage to living organisms. Yet, it is completely harmless to artistic materials, whether organic or inorganic, which helped make the X-ray one of the oldest methods used by researchers worldwide to study and diagnose the materials, technical construction, and structural form of works of art.