Scientific Calendar Event



Description

Cultural heritage studies are essential for preserving the rich and diverse artifacts of Latin America. However, conventional X-ray analytical instruments used to study historical samples are often specialized and expensive. Reconfigurable instrumentation presents a cost-effective alternative, reducing the need for multiple dedicated devices.

This workshop aims to foster an environment for exchanging innovative ideas and promoting effective collaboration, ultimately advancing cultural heritage studies in Latin America. This is particularly significant in the Mesoamerican region, given its vital role in preserving indigenous knowledge and the legacies of diverse cultures. By offering participants hands-on experience with affordable, reconfigurable modular hardware and sensors, the workshop seeks to enhance their skills and cultivate human resources capable of driving technological advancements, the development of scientific instrumentation, and academic progress. During the intensive five-day workshop, participants will engage with software design tools, FPGA based hardware platforms, and sensors, through tutorials and guided lab sessions.

 
Topics:
  • X-ray analytical methods: fluorescence (XRF), diffraction (XRD), micro-computed tomography (μCT)
  • X-ray sources and detectors
  • Portable XRF scanner for in-situ measurements
  • Elemental map reconstruction techniques and data analysis
  • Reconfigurable  instrumentation: systems-on-chip (SoC-FPGA) and their applications to cultural heritage

Organizing Committee:
Andres Cicuttin, ICTP, Italy
Luis García Ordóñez, ICTP, Italy
Hector Perez, San Carlos University, Guatemala 
Jorge Balsells, San Carlos University, Guatemala
Zaida Urrutia, Universidad del Valle de Guatemala
 
  
Grants: A limited number of grants are available to support the attendance of selected participants, with priority given to participants from developing countries. There is no registration fee.
 
Go to day
  • Monday, 16 June 2025
    • 17:00 - 01:30
      • 17:00 Opening Remarks 15'
        Speaker: Maria Liz Crespo /ICTP, Italy), Melissa Maria Cruz Torres (Universidad Nacional Autonoma of Honduras, Honduras), Juan Adolfo Ponciano (Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala), Rodrigo Sacahui Reyes (Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala)
      • 17:15 Workshop Outline 15'
        Speaker: Maria Liz Crespo (ICTP, Italy)
      • 17:30 Research at the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences (ECFM) of USAC 15'
        Speaker: Juan Adolfo Ponciano (Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala)
      • 17:45 Imaging and Spectroscopy for Material Analysis of Cultural Heritage: An Introduction 30'
        Speaker: Jose Luis Ruvalcaba Sil (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Instituto de Fisica, Mexico)
      • 18:15 Design Methodology for Systems on Chip (SoC) 45'
        Speaker: Cristian Sisterna (Universidad Nacional de San Juan Instituto de Investigaciones Antisismicas, Argentina)
      • 19:00 Coffee break 15'
      • 19:15 Development Board: Zynq SoC 45'
        Speaker: Cristian Sisterna (ICTP, Italy)
      • 20:00 C for Embedded Systems 1h0'
        Speaker: Cristian Sisterna (Universidad Nacional de San Juan Instituto de Investigaciones Antisismicas, Argentina)
      • 21:00 Lunch 1h0'
      • 22:00 Hardware Description Language (HDL) for Reconfigurable Instrumentation 1h0'
        Speaker: Cristian Sisterna (Universidad Nacional de San Juan Instituto de Investigaciones Antisismicas, Argentina)
      • 23:00 Virtual Machine and User environment 15'
        Speaker: Maynor Ballina (ICTP, Italy)
      • 23:15 Guide for Lab 1 - Getting Started with SoC 15'
        Speaker: Maynor Ballina (ICTP, Italy)
      • 23:30 Lab 1 with tutors 30'
        Speaker: Lecturers and Lab Tutors
      • 00:00 Tea/coffee break 15'
      • 00:15 Lab 1 with tutors 1h15'
        Speaker: Lecturers and Lab Tutors
  • Tuesday, 17 June 2025
    • 17:00 - 01:30
      • 17:00 Behind the surface: X ray Microtomography for Cutural Heritage 1h0'
        Online
        Speaker: Federico Bernardini (ICTP, Italy)
      • 18:00 X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF): Instrumentation Development for In Situ Applications 1h0'
        Speaker: Jose Luis Ruvalcaba Sil (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Instituto de Fisica, Mexico)
      • 19:00 Coffee break 15'
      • 19:15 HDL for Reconfigurable Instrumentation (cont.) 1h45'
        Speaker: Cristian Sisterna (Universidad Nacional de San Juan Instituto de Investigaciones Antisismicas, Argentina)
      • 21:00 Lunch 1h0'
      • 22:00 Guide for Lab 2 - Reconfigurable Instrumentation on SoC-FPGA 30'
        Speaker: Maynor Ballina (ICTP, Italy)
      • 22:30 Lab 2 with tutors 1h30'
        Speaker: Lecturers and Lab Tutors
      • 00:00 Tea/coffee break 15'
      • 00:15 Lab 2 with tutors 1h15'
        Speaker: Lecturers and Lab Tutors
  • Wednesday, 18 June 2025
    • 17:00 - 01:30
      • 17:00 X-ray Diffraction Spectroscopy (XRD): Instrumentation Development for In Situ Applications 1h0'
        Speaker: Jose Luis Ruvalcaba Sil (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Instituto de Fisica, Mexico)
      • 18:00 Digital Pulse Processing for X-ray Photon Detection and Energy Measurement 1h0'
        Online
        Speaker: Andres Cicuttin (ICTP, Italy)
      • 19:00 Coffee break 15'
      • 19:15 Flavour Physics and the LHCb Experiment 20'
        Speaker: Melissa Maria Cruz Torres (Universidad Nacional Autonoma of Honduras, Honduras)
      • 19:35 SoC-FPGA-based Reconfigurable Instrumentation Systems 45'
        Speaker: Cristian Sisterna (Universidad Nacional de San Juan Instituto de Investigaciones Antisismicas, Argentina)
      • 20:20 Embedded Real-Time Operating System 40'
        Speaker: Luis Garcia (ICTP, Italy)
      • 21:00 Lunch 1h0'
      • 22:00 Guide for Lab 3 - SoC-FPGA Development Framework 30'
        Speaker: Luis Garcia (ICTP, Italy)
      • 22:30 Lab 3 with tutors 1h30'
        Speaker: Lecturers and Lab Tutors
      • 00:00 Tea/coffee break 15'
      • 00:15 Lab 3 with tutors 45'
        Speaker: Lecturers and Lab Tutors
  • Thursday, 19 June 2025
    • 17:00 - 01:30
      • 17:00 The ICTP-IAEA MA-XRF Scanner 1h0'
        Speaker: Luis Garcia (ICTP, Italy)
      • 18:00 Elemental Maps Reconstruction based on Single-Photon Detection for Cultural Heritage Studies 45'
        Speaker: Luis Garcia (ICTP, Italy)
      • 18:45 Coffee-break 15'
      • 19:00 High Event-Rate Online Discrimination on Mixed Radiation Fields with Machine Learning 1h0'
        Online
        Speaker: Ivan Morales Argueta (Nuclear Science and Instrumentation Laboratory (NSIL), IAEA, Austria)
      • 20:00 HyperFPGA: Heterogeneous Computing on MPSoC-FPGA at ICTP 45'
        Speaker: Maynor Ballina (ICTP, Italy)
      • 20:45 Guide for Lab 4 - DPP for X-ray Photon Detection 15'
        Speaker: Luis Garcia (ICTP, Italy)
      • 21:00 Lunch 1h0'
      • 22:00 Lab 4 with tutors 2h0'
        Speaker: Lecturers and Lab Tutors
      • 00:00 Tea/coffee break 15'
      • 00:15 Lab 4 with tutors 45'
        Speaker: Lecturers and Lab Tutors
  • Friday, 20 June 2025
    • 17:00 - 01:30
      • 17:00 LAGO Guatemala: Advancing Astroparticle Detection in Latin America 15'
        Speaker: Hector Perez (Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala)
      • 17:15 EL-BONGO Physics: A Collaborative Opportunity for Latin America 15'
        Speaker: Rodrigo Sacahui Reyes (Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Guatemala)
      • 17:30 FPGA for Accelerating Machine Learning (ML) Algorithms 1h0'
        Speaker: Romina Molina (ICTP, Italy)
      • 18:30 Guide for Lab 5: ML on SoC-FPGA 15'
        Speaker: Romina Molina (ICTP, Italy)
      • 18:45 Coffee-break 15'
      • 19:00 Lab 5 with tutors 2h0'
        Speaker: Lecturers and Lab Tutors
      • 21:00 Lunch 1h0'
      • 22:00 Lab 5 with tutors 2h0'
        Speaker: Lecturers and Lab Tutors
      • 00:00 Tea/coffee break 15'
      • 00:15 Presentations on Cultural Heritage from Participants 30'
      • 00:45 ICTP Activities and Programmes 30'
        Speaker: Maria Liz Crespo (ICTP, Italy)
      • 01:15 Distribution of Certificates and Closing Remarks 15'
        Speaker: Workshop Directors