Art in the Service of Science.- Art in the Service of Science.- Laser Cleaning of Paper.- Laser Cleaning Investigations of Paper Models and Original Objects with Nd:YAG and KrF Laser Systems.- Anti-Fungal Laser Treatment of Paper: A Model Study with a Laser Wavelength of 532 nm.- Observation of the Post-Processing Effects due to Laser Cleaning of Paper.- The Post-Processing Effects due to Pulsed Laser Ablation of Paper.- Laser Cleaning of Pressure Sensitive Tapes on Paper.- Chemistry of Parchment-Laser Interaction.- Laser Cleaning of Metal.- Femtosecond Laser Cleaning of Metallic Cultural Heritage and Antique Artworks.- Archaeological Ironwork: Removal of Corrosion Layers by Nd:YAG-Laser.- Laser Cleaning of Metal Surface - Laboratory Investigations.- 1320 nm Range Nd:YAG-Laser in Restoration of Artworks Made of Bronze and Other Metals.- Surface Cleaning of Iron Artefacts by Lasers.- Laser Cleaning Miscellaneous.- Experimental and Theoretical Indications on Laser Cleaning.- Er:YAG Laser Applications on Marble and Limestone Sculptures with Polychrome and Patina Surfaces.- Lasers Cleaning of Patrimonial Plasters.- Overpaint Removal on a Gilded Wooden Bas-Relief Using a Nd:YAG Laser at 1.064 µm.- Pulsed Laser Cleaned Natural History Specimens with Reference to the Removal of Conductive Coatings.- Laser Cleaning Studies of Hard Insoluble Aluminosilicate Crusts on Minoan (LM IIIC) Pottery.- Laser Removal of Protective Treatments on Limestone.- Comparison of Cleaning Methods for Stained Glass Windows.- Results of Nd:YAG Laser Renovation of Decorative Ivory Jug.- Case Studies.- The Conservation Intervention on the Porta della Mandorla.- The Capability of the Laser Application for Selective Cleaning and the Removal of Different Layers on Wooden Artworks.- The Pilot Restoration Yard of the Church of San Frediano in Pisa: Results of a Multidisciplinary Study.- A Bronze Age Pre-Historic Dolmen: Laser Cleaning Techniques of Paintings and Graffiti (The Bisceglie Dolmen Case Study).- Side Effects.- Evaluating the Effectiveness of Lasers for the Removal of Overpaint from a 20th C Minimalist Painting.- Evaluation of Laser Cleaning of Parchment Documents with a Q-Switched Nd:YAG Laser at 1064, 532 and 266 nm.- Cleaning of Soiled White Feathers Using the Nd:YAG Laser and Traditional Methods.- Surface Analysis of the Laser Cleaned Metal Threads.- Pigments, Conservation Layers.- The Effects of Laser Radiation on Adhesives, Consolidants, and Varnishes.- A Study on the Oxidative Gradient of Aged Traditional Triterpenoid Resins Using "Optimum" Photoablation Parameters.- Evaluation of the Effects of Laser Irradiation on Modern Organic Pigments.- Laser Paint Interactions Studied by Optical Emission Spectroscopy and Pump and Probe Analysis of the Ablation Plume.- Effects of Laser Irradiation on Artwork Pigments Studied by Laser Ablation and Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry.- IR-Laser Effects on Pigments and Paint Layers.- Reaction of Historical Colours and their Components Irradiated at Different Nd:YAG Laser Wavelengths (?, 2?, 3?, 4?).- Visual Effect of Laser Cleaning on Orissan Murals.- Fundamentals, Innovative Methods.- Synchronous Use of IR and UV Laser Pulses in the Removal of Encrustation: Mechanistic Aspects, Discoloration Phenomena and Benefits.- Numerical Modelling of Laser Cleaning and Conservation of Artworks.- Laser Signal Dependence on Artworks Surface Characteristics: A Study of Frescoes and Icons Samples.- Pollution Encrustation Removal by Means of Combined Ultraviolet and Infrared Laser Radiation: The Application of this Innovative Methodology on the Surface of the Parthenon West Frieze.- Mössbauer and XRD Study of the Effect of Nd:YAG-1064 nm Laser Irradiation on Hematite Present in Model Samples.- Can Laser Microprobe Mass Analysis do any Work in Artwork Conservation?.- An X-Ray Microprobe for In-Situ Stone and Wood Characterization.- Non-Invasive Monitoring of Water Intake in Limestones.- Nd, Er and Excimer Laser Sources: Laboratory Evaluation of Cleaning Efficacy and of Interaction with Substrate.- Working Groups and Networks.- Euregio-Center of Expertise for Art Conservation Technology.- COST G7 Action Creates a Durable Instrument for Advanced Research Implementation in Artwork Conservation by Laser.- The Project OPTOCANTIERI: A Synergy between Laser Techniques and Information Science for Arts Conservation.- Spanish Thematic Network on Cultural Heritage.- Cleaning Stations and Process Control for Practise.- Laser Cleaning System for Automated Paper and Parchment Cleaning.- Laser Cleaning Monitored by a Spectroscopic Technique - Experimental Data on The Gotlandic Sandstone Case.- From the Research Lab to the Restoration Yard: Practical Procedures to Evaluate in situ the Use of Laser Cleaning on Façades.- Sensor Concept for Controlled Laser Cleaning via Photodiode.- Ultra-Stable, New Generation Q-Switched Monolithic Laser Cleaners for Fine Art Conservation.- Spectroscopy for Monitoring and Identification.- Analysis of Archaeological Objects with LMntI, a New Transportable LIBS Instrument.- Spectroscopic Monitoring of the Laser Cleaning Applied to Ancient Marbles from Mediterranean Areas.- Laser Diagnostics.- Artwork Monitoring by Digital Image Correlation.- A 3D Scanning Device for Architectural Relieves Based on Time-Of-Flight Technology.- Surface Roughness Relief.- Integration of Imaging Analysis and 3D Laser Relief of Artworks: A Powerful Diagnostic Tool.- Parallel Acquisition of 3-D Surface Coordinates and Deformations by Combining Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometry and Optical Topometry.- Scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometry Application to Artworks: New Acoustic and Mechanical Exciters for Structural Diagnostics.- Supporting the Restoration of the Minerva of Arezzo.- Comparative Holography in the Conservation Structural Diagnosis: An El Greco Exemplary Exploitation.- A Case Study of Frescoes Diagnostics by Scanning Laser Doppler Vibrometry (SLDV): The Brumidi Corridors and The President's Room at The United States Capitol.

Since 1995, when Costas Fotakis first brought together restorers and scientists to discuss the potential of lasers in art conservation, the field has grown enormously in importance, and today restorers and laser scientists work together to develop new applications. This book presents the more than six dozen research papers prepared for LACONA V (Lasers in Art Conservation), held in Osnabrueck/Germany in September 2003. The fifth congress once again gathered restorers, art historians, museum staff, laser scientists and laser manufacturers. The topics include, among others: laser cleaning of artworks (case studies and side effects), removal of former conservation layers, fundamentals of laser-artwork interaction, online monitoring and process control, laser diagnostics, spectroscopy for monitoring and identification, networks and cooperation projects.