Supported projects

The project MASOC is proposed by two groups from Ile de France (LSCE and IMPMC). Its goal is to acquire probes for the measurement of axial magnetic field (or field gradient depending on how the probes are oriented from one another) and the associated electronic device. These probes are of daily use in a paleomagnetic laboratory and they allow to qualify a large number of experiences. In particular, they are used to control the very weak field (2-3 nT) inside the so-called “zero-field” furnaces and to define exactly the zone in which the samples are protected from any residual field, in particular upon their cooling. They are also used to control, before and after each thermal step, the field imposed into the paleointensity furnaces. This field is of a few μT and is decided by the user, depending on the studied archeological or lava samples. Finally, the probes also allow to measure the field induced in solenoids as a function of their diameter, winding and the applied current. These solenoids are relatively numerous in the laboratory and are used in particular for the acquisition of anhysteretic remanent magnetization and its anisotropy, methods widely applied in palaeoenvironmental studies on marine sediments. These probes are therefore a basic element for magnetic measurements in the laboratory. They are very robust, their use is extremely simple and accessible to all, without added expenses for maintenance or consumables (except batteries) and they have a lifespan of a few decades.