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Detector Group
MAIA Detector at Work
Combination of energy resolution and high count rate enables MAIA to map the elemental composition of objects with breathtaking resolution in a much shorter time than was previously possible. Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source (CHESS) used MAIA to obtain an elemental mapping of a pressed Iris flower.
![MAIA Detector](images/maia-detecotr-at-work-700px.jpg)
False color representation of elemental distributions of potassium (red), calcium (green) and zinc (blue) in a dried pressed Iris flower
Besides helping the scientists to map the elemental composition of objects with breathtaking resolution in a much shorter time than was previously possible MAIA is also helping researchers to unravel the hidden truth from classical paintings. The famous 19th century French Impressionist Edgar Degas had a face hidden under his notable work ‘Portrait of a Woman’. Using Maia 384 detector array and the XRF microscopy beamline at the Australian Synchrotron, scientists yielded an exciting revelation: The image long known to be concealed behind the famous portrait is, in fact, a portrait of another woman!
![MAIA Detector](images/maia-face-3-720px.jpg)
MAIA at work: unravelling the hidden face. D. Thurrowgood et al. Sci. Rep. 6, 29594 (2016)