Adhesion–Triboelectric–Corona–Maillard (ATCM) Model: A Naturalistic, Testable Mechanism for Image Formation in Linen Fibres

Abstract

The Adhesion–Triboelectric–Corona–Maillard (ATCM) Model presents the first fully naturalistic, unified framework linking forensic pathopathology, bio‑rheology, triboelectric physics, plasma chemistry, and low‑temperature organic reactions to explain the image on the Shroud of Turin. The mechanism demonstrates that time‑dependent adhesion—driven by early post‑mortem serous fluids, sweat‑salts, and undisturbed biochemical residues on an unwashed body—transforms the cloth‑body interface into a high‑viscosity viscoelastic matrix over a 30–36 hour incubation period. Mechanical removal of the linen textile triggers unstable, cyclic stick‑slip failure across the interface, generating significant surface‑charge densities through contact electrification and triboelectric separation. Field enhancement at natural micro‑asperities drives transient micro‑gaps past ionization thresholds, generating nanosecond, non‑thermal micro‑corona discharges. Operating strictly in a cold‑plasma regime, these discharges electronically activate the linen’s starch‑sizing layer via hydroxyl oxidation without causing thermal damage to the underlying cellulose. Over subsequent hours to days, these activated carbohydrate sites undergo slow Maillard browning with ambient volatile organic amines, producing a superficial, distance‑encoded image. This updated version addresses 14 macro‑ and micro‑scale physical, chemical, and spatial master constraints. A multi‑phase experimental validation roadmap is provided, rendering each physical pillar of the model fully testable and falsifiable.