Feasibility studies have been carried out at the SYRMEP
beamline of the Elettra synchrotron laboratory in Trieste
with the aim of demonstrating the advantages and evaluating
the effectiveness of synchrotron radiation X-ray
microtomography as a suitable technique for nondestructive
analysis of bowed stringed instruments. The
particular geometry of the X-ray beam and the use of a
novel detector allow structural evaluation of the main
details of the instruments with unprecedented richness
of details. This, in turn, will allow precise dendrochronological
investigation of historical violins, as well as the
characterization of their structure, defects, wood thickness
and density.
