Acquisition of a Paleomagnetics Laboratory at Institute of Human Origins

在美国国家科学基金会的支持下，Paul Renee博士和他的合作者将在加州伯克利的人类起源研究所建立一个古地磁测年实验室。他们将获得低温磁力计和旋转磁力计，并将它们放置在磁屏蔽空间中。低温磁强计将具有自动交变磁场退磁和测量能力。该实验室还将配备一个传统的翻滚AF消磁器和一个热消磁炉，磁化率桥和广泛的计算和图形能力。该设施将进行许多研究项目，其中许多与古人类学调查有关。这些包括古地磁时间尺度的细化，以及从考古遗址和原始人类化石遗址采集样本的年代测定。科学家们利用了地球磁场周期性倒转的事实。多年来的研究已经产生了一系列这样的逆转，并确定了每次逆转的大致年龄。因为沉积物中的铁颗粒在沉积时与地球磁场对齐，它们实际上提供了一个指南针，科学家可以对地质剖面进行采样，并确定地球磁极在特定时刻的位置。通过参考一个有日期的主序列，就可以确定大约的年龄。事实证明，这种方法对地质学家、古人类学家和其他希望确定过去特定事件日期的研究人员来说是无价的。目前，美国没有足够的实验室能力来满足需求，在人类起源研究所建立一个设施将有助于纠正这种情况。这个项目之所以重要，有几个原因。在实验室进行的研究将通过提供更准确的个别倒转日期来帮助改进古地磁测年。实验室确定年代的样品将有助于回答一些紧迫的科学问题。

With National Science Foundation support Dr. Paul Renee and his collaborators will establish a paleomagnetic dating laboratory at the Institute of Human Origins in Berkeley California. They will obtain both cryogenic and spinner magnetometers and house them in a magnetically shielded space. The cryogenic magnetometer will have automated alternating field demagnetization and measurement capability. The laboratory also will feature a conventional tumbling AF demagnetizer and a thermal demagnetization oven, magnetic susceptibility bridge and extensive computational and graphics capabilities. The facility will conduct a number of research projects, many of which relate to paleoanthropological investigations. These include refinement of the paleomagnetic time scale and the dating of samples from sites which have yielded archaeological and fossil hominid remains. Scientists have made use of the fact that the earth's magnetic field periodically reverses. Research over many years has produced a sequence of these reversals and determined the approximate age of each. Because iron particles in sediments align with the earth's magnetic field at time of deposition, they in essence provide a compass and scientists can sample geological sections and determine the position of the earth's magnetic pole at particular moments in time. Through reference to a dated master sequence, approximate age can then be determined. This procedure has proven invaluable to geologists, paleoanthropologists and other researchers who wish to date specific events in the past. Currently sufficient laboratory capacity does not exist in the United States to meet demand and the establishment of a facility at the Institute for Human Origins will help to remedy the situation. This project is important for several reasons. Research conducted at the laboratory will help to refine paleomagnetic dating by providing more accurate dates for individual reversals. Samples dated by the laboratory will help to answer a number of pressing scientific questions.