[Triumf-seminars] TRIUMF Colloquium today at 14:00

[TRIUMF Seminars]

Date/Time: Thu 2012-08-09 at 14:00

Location:  Auditorium          

Speaker:   Murray Moinester (Tel Aviv University)

Title:     Rehydroxylation (RHX) Dating of Archaeological Ceramics

Abstract: Determining the absolute chronology of ceramic artifacts is of the utmost importance for archeological and historical research. I describe a radically new technique for precisely dating fired bricks. The method, called rehydroxylation (RHX) dating, relies on the fact that fired clay materials begin chemically reacting with environmental moisture as soon as they are removed from the kiln, absorbing OH radicals. RHX reaction kinetics are proportional to (time)^1/4, so the amount of hydroxyl chemically combined with the ceramic material provides an 'internal clock' that can be read by a precision microbalance to determine the elapsed time since it was fired. RHX dating has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of the trajectories of historical developments worldwide.

Stimulants available 15 minutes before the talk.

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