Ettore Fiorini LNGS NOW, Sept.7, 2008 Physics of rare events: insights on Napoleon death Searches for rare events to be carried out underground and under low environmental and internal radioactivity Suppression of the background First => A justification 1E.Fiorini, NOW, Otranto Sept.7, 2008

How to rekognize the presence of few disturbing elements If they are radioactive => and ray spectroscopy, ICPMS Neutron Activation Analysis Could sometimes reach the best sensitivity 2E.Fiorini, NOW, Otranto Sept.7, 2008

Application to Roman Lead Lead is an excellent shielding material: High atomic number Reasonable mechanical properties Reasonable cost It contains however 210 Pb active with an half lifetime of 22.3 years Especially dangerous for searches on WIMPS. Low energy counting rates No presence of 210 Pb < 4 m Bq/kg), what about U and Th ? With neutron activation analysis < g/g Particularly sensitive to search for As only stable isotope 75 As s thermal neutrons = 4.3 barns => 76 As => beta t = 26.3 d and emission of a keV ray

The use of our powerful method to investigate the presence of arsenic in hairs of historical origin Arsenic, like other heavy metals concentrates in hairs Its presence used in criminology. Many previous measurements on Napoleon hairs => poor instrumentation and often inconclusive result High school remembrance of Alessandro Manzoni Il cinque maggio e i dì nell'ozio chiuse in sì breve sponda, segno d'immensa invidia e di pietà profonda, d'inestinguibil odio e d'indomato amor. The fifth of May and his idle days closed in such a short site, target of immense envy and of deep pity, of unchanged hate and of untamable love 4E.Fiorini, NOW, Otranto Sept.7, 2008

Saint Helene 5E.Fiorini, NOW, Otranto Sept.7, 2008

Previous measurements Assasination strongly substained by B.Weider and P.Hapgood initially based on Neutron activation measurements at Harwell on suggestion of S.Forthuvud 10 – 38 ppm of As, later 11 – 3 ppm and time distribution (no error) 6E.Fiorini, NOW, Otranto Sept.7, 2008

X-ray fluorescence analysis on the paper on the walls 0.08 g cm -2 a value presently non acceptable Later negative measurements Measurement on the tapisserie of the Longwood House 7E.Fiorini, NOW, Otranto Sept.7, 2008

Other negative results Neutron activation (2.5 x n cm -2 s -1 for 15 hours) with ray spectroscopy => 1.4 ±1.2 ppm. Assumes no poisoning Neutron activation with ray spectroscopy => Elba Isle 1.85 ±.11 ppm. => Saint Helene 3.5 ± 0.18 ppm and 33.3 ± ppm (bad treatment) A living man and woman 32 ± 3 and 33 ± 2 ppb Assumes no poisoning Neutron activation with ray spectroscopy (Saclay, unpublished) => Saint Helene Two hairs with an average of 4.5 ppm B.Weider insists Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (P.Kinz) => 6.99 – ppm FBI (neutron activation analysis on two hairs ) => 33.3 and 14 ppm 8E.Fiorini, NOW, Otranto Sept.7, 2008

Our experiment (strongly suported by INFN) A multisciplinary research group The same precision as in neutrino physics Only hystorical material from certified institutions Mainly during vacations (with the exclusion of neutron activation) Massimiliano Clemenza, Ettore Fiorini, Laura Guerra, Costanza Herborg, Massimo Labra, Edoardo Orvini, Adalberto Piazzoli, Ezio Previtali, Francesco Puggioni, Angela Santagostino -Fundamental physics – Neutron activation – Toxicologists – Hystorian -All neutron activations carried out at the TRIGA Mark II of the Laboratorio di Energia Nucleare Applicata of the Pavia University -(thermal neutron flux of n cm -2 s -1 - ray spectroscopy in Milano-Bicocca and Pavia and measurement of the hair mass in Milano-Bicocca 9E.Fiorini, NOW, Otranto Sept.7, 2008

Hystorical materials used in this search From the Napoleonic (Rome), Glauco Lombardi (Parma) and Malmaison (Paris) Museums Capello Massa (mg) Odierno 1 0,122 Aiglon ,138 Odierno 2 0,112 Aiglon ,108 Odierno 3 0,096 Napoleone Corsica 1 0,180 Odierno 4 0,138 Napoleone Corsica 2 0,274 Odierno 5 0,220 Napoleone Elba 1 0,232 Odierno 6 0,066 Napoleone Elba Odierno 7 0,118 Napoleone S. Elena 5 maggio 1 0,126 Odierno Napoleone S. Elena 5 maggio 2 0,166 Odierno 9 0,148 Napoleone S. Elena 5 maggio 3 0,090 Odierno 10 0,230 Napoleone S. Elena 5 maggio 4 0,130 Aiglon ,106 Napoleone S. Elena 5 maggio 5 0,224 Aiglon ,088 Napoleone S. Elena 5 maggio 6 0,148 Aiglon ,132 Napoleone S. Elena 6 maggio 1 0,254 Aiglon ,104 Napoleone S. Elena 6 maggio 2 0,328 Aiglon ,078 Josephine 1 0,268 Aiglon ,060 Josephine 2 0,294 10E.Fiorini, NOW, Otranto Sept.7, 2008

Certified calibrated standards have been used 11E.Fiorini, NOW, Otranto Sept.7, 2008

Measurements on the As content in the hairs of a living subject, and comparison with the content in the hairs of the Aiglon and of Empress Josephine Capello contemporaneo As(in ppm) Odierno 1 8,6 ±,9 Odierno 2 5,6 ± 1,8 Odierno 3 11,0 ± 3,5 Odierno 4 12,4 ± 3,9 Odierno 5 2,4 ± 1,1 Odierno 6 7,1 ± 2,8 Odierno 7 5,4 ± 1,7 Odierno 8 4,0 ± 1,4 Odierno 9 4,3 ± 3,1 Odierno 10 4,8 ± 2 Aignon and Josephine As (in ppm) Aiglon ,4 ± 1,0 Aiglon ,1 ± 0,6 Aiglon ,6 ± 1,3 Aiglon ,9 ± 1,0 Aiglon ,9 ± 1,1 Aiglon ,2 ± 1,3 Aiglon ,6 ± 0,8 Aiglon ,5 ± 0,9 Josephine - 1 0,8 ± 0,4 Josephine – 2 1,2 ± 0,5 12E.Fiorini, NOW, Otranto Sept.7, 2008

Capello As (in ppm) Corsica 1770 – 1 8.3± 0,9 Corsica ,3 ± 0,7 Elba 1814 – 1 4,4 ± 0,5 Elba ,5 ± 0,4 S. Elena 5 maggio ,1 ± 1,3 S. Elena 5 maggio ,7 ± 1,7 S. Elena 5 maggio ,2 ± 1,4 S. Elena 5 maggio ,0 ± 1,7 S. Elena 5 maggio ,4 ± 2,3 S. Elena 5 maggio ,9 ± 2,2 S. Elena 6 maggio ,2 ± 2,0 S. Elena 6 maggio 1821 – 2 9,7 ± 1, Arsenic in the hairs of the Emperor 13E.Fiorini, NOW, Otranto Sept.7, 2008

Frammento Massa (mg) As (in ppm ) 2A 0,012 27,6 ± 3,0 2B 0,022 22,0 ± 2,5 2C 0,026 21,4 ± 2,5 2D 0,032 17,5 ± 2,0 2E 0,032 16,6 ± 1,9 2F 0,026 20,7 ± 2,4 Change of the contamination along the hair (the mass has decreased due to irradiation) 14E.Fiorini, NOW, Otranto Sept.7, 2008

Arsenic content in the water of the spring liked by the Emperor (near his first grave) 15E.Fiorini, NOW, Otranto Sept.7, 2008

Aliquote campioni As (μg/L) N.1 1,0000 N.2 1,5000 N.3 2,0000 N.4 1,2500 N.5 1,1000 N.6 0,8000 media 1,28 ±.43 Limite attualmente accettato 10 More recently: Napoleon strikes again! Large impact in the national and international press Recent paper on the New York Times 16E.Fiorini, NOW, Otranto Sept.7, 2008

Hair Analysis Deflates Napoleon Poisoning Theories Was Napoleon poisoned? now, a team of scientists at Italys National Institute of Nuclear Physics in Milan-Bicocca and Pavia has uncovered strong evidence to the contrary. Contact with many toxicologists and with prof.A.Lugli Very precise pathological analysis Change of the weight with time from 12 samples of trousers (checked with volunteers) Connection of the weight with subcutaneous fat from authopsy of 270 patients Comparison of pictures of gastric lesions and other features of patients dyying of cancer with the very detailed authopsy of Francesco Antonmarchi (pupil of the famous Giuseppe Macagni of Siena University) In conclusion, we believe that the original autopsy findings and our analysis of Napoleons lifetime weight changes provide strong support for the hypothesis that Napoleons final defeat was caused by gastric cancer. 17E.Fiorini, NOW, Otranto Sept.7, 2008

18E.Fiorini, NOW, Otranto Sept.7, 2008

Conclusions Our measurements on hairs of presently living people indicate a presence of arsenic two order of magnitude less than those of hystorical people The procedure to attribute the large amount of Arsenic in Napoleon hairs to state his poisoning is wrong The arsenic presence in the larger sample of hairs of Napoleon after his death ever measured is in agreement among the various components and comparable to those measured in the King of Rome in four different period of his life The concentration of arsenic in Napoleon hairs in Saint Helene is larger than he was in in the Elba Isle, but is not such to justify the criminal hypothesis which would require a concentration of 45 ppm or larger. This is confirmed by the concentration with time along one hair and indicate a cronic exposure due to environmental reasons Previous and present detailed clinical analisis strongly confirm our results 19E.Fiorini, NOW, Otranto Sept.7, 2008

20E.Fiorini, NOW, Otranto Sept.7, 2008