On the use of THz waves to characterize bacteria attacks on marble

The recent technological advancements performed in the development of stable and flexible devices working at TeraHertz (THz) frequencies non-invasive diagnostic is a promising tool in cultural heritage. The paper aims at assessing the ability of THz waves to characterize marble works of art in order to gather information on their conservative status and constructive modalities. The THz surveys have been carried out on two kinds of marble: Marmo di Candoglia and Marmo di Carrara. The analysis has been performed by means of the Zomega Fiber-Coupled THz time domain (FICO) system.