RUI: Determination of Absolute Paleointensity Using a Multi-Specimen Procedure

这项工作涉及一种确定古地磁绝对强度的新方法。大体上，该方法与经典的Thellier方法有所不同，因为每次测定都要使用几个子样本，而不是一个。每个样品只被加热两次，达到单独指定的温度。因此，该方法相对于Thellier的主要优点是将由连续加热引起的渐进的物理化学变化保持在最低限度。事实上，一项利用新方法的初步研究表明，当Thellier方法可能失败时，它可以提供可靠的结果。就像过去本科研究机构(RUI)资助的情况一样，该项目将得到几个本科生物理专业的帮助。过去的经验表明，在加州保利大学协助古地磁项目的大多数学生都成功地在地球物理或物理研究生院继续他们的学术生涯。

The work involves a new approach for the determination of absolute magnetic paleointensity. Principally, the method deviates from that of the classical Thellier approach in that not one, but several sub-samples are utilized per determination. Each specimen is heated only twice to an individually-assigned temperature. Thus, the primary advantage of the method over the Thellier is that progressive physicochemical alteration due to serial heatings is held to a minimum. Indeed, an initial study utilizing the new method suggests that it can furnish reliable results when the Thellier approach may fail. As has been the case with past research in Undergraduate Institution (RUI) grants, the project will be assisted by several undergraduate physics majors. Past experience has shown that the majority of students which have assisted in paleomagnetic projects at Cal Poly successfully continue their academic careers at graduate institutions in geophysics or physics.