Abstract: This chapter explains the materials and techniques employed in the Amsterdam Sunflowers, enabling a comparison with the London version described in chapter 3. Building upon the 2016 article published in the National Gallery Technical Bulletin, it incorporates the latest findings gained by computer-assisted methods used to characterize the canvas support, as well as in-situ campaigns of non-invasive investigation together with further analysis of microscopic paint samples. The chapter sequence follows the steps in Van Gogh's working practice. Starting with the canvas, automated analysis of the weave enables the provenance of the canvas to be traced back to a particular roll of linen ordered by Van Gogh. Combining technical evidence with knowledge of historical manufacturing techniques further allows us to reconstruct the way in which Van Gogh divided his canvas roll into pieces used for Sunflowers and other paintings. We go on to consider how, with the original painting at hand, he used charcoal to transfer the motif of the London Sunflowers onto his blank canvas. Despite careful planning of the composition, an adjustment was required late in the working process, when Van Gogh added a painted wooden strip to extend the background above the flower at the top edge of the canvas. The artist's process of working up the composition in paint is described, paying special attention to his use of colour. The pigments and pigment mixtures used in the Amsterdam Sunflowers have been comprehensively mapped and are compared with the London picture, with discussion of some similarities and differences that account for the distinctive colour scheme of each painting. This understanding of colour application in the Amsterdam Sunflowers lays the foundation for subsequent chapters that will go on to consider the impact of light-induced colour changes that have taken place over time, and the related need to define appropriate lighting guidelines for the future safe preservation of this painting and others made with similar materials (chapters 5 and 7).

Abstract: Through a combined use of light- and electron microscopy with microanalytical techniques, the aluminium distribution in gills of aluminium-exposed catfish was investigated. This study demonstrates that also with the ''acid-resistant'' catfish, exposed during seven days to acidified water (pH=4.3) with an elevated aluminium concentration (1 mg Al/l), aluminium can be found at, and even in, the gills.

Abstract: The radiation damage created in silicon materials by Mn-57 -> Fe-57 ion implantation has been studied and characterized by Mossbauer spectroscopy showing four main lines, assigned to: substitutional, interstitial and damaged configuration sites of the implanted ions. Nevertheless, the Mossbauer spectrum of Fe-57 in this materials remains with some ambiguous identification regarding the implantation configurations before and after annealing, specially the damaged configurations and its evolution. In the present work some possible implantation configurations are suggested and evaluated using a multiscale approach by Monte Carlo ion transport and electronic structure calculations within DFT. The proposed implantation environments were evaluated in terms of stability and the Fe-57 hyperfine parameters were calculated to establish the connections with the experimental observations. Good agreement was found between the experimental and the calculated hyperfine parameters for some configurations; suggesting which ones could be the implantation environments before and after sample annealing.