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Could radiation have caused the images on the Shroud of Turin?
Probably not! Radiation (electromagnetic radiation; ionizing particles such as protons, electrons, and alpha particles; and non-ionizing particles such as neutrons) almost certainly could not have formed the caramel-like substance that makes up the images. Enough energy to induce a chemical change in the super-thin carbohydrate film that holds the image would have visibly altered the characteristic molecular arrangement, the fibrillar structure of the flax fibers. That did not happen.
The image bearing layer can be removed with adhesive and with reducing agents such as diimide leaving clear, unablated fibers.
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© 2004 Daniel R. Porter, Bronxville, New York
