Open AccessAngular Dispersion Due to Random Magnetization
Author(s) -
Cox Allan
Publication year - 1964
Publication title -
geophysical journal of the royal astronomical society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.302
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1365-246X
pISSN - 0016-8009
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-246x.1964.tb03856.x
Subject(s) - magnetization , mathematics , dispersion (optics) , probability distribution , constant (computer programming) , physics , distribution (mathematics) , geometry , mathematical analysis , statistics , magnetic field , optics , quantum mechanics , computer science , programming language
Summary. The angular probability distribution generated by adding a set of randomly oriented vectors to a set of constant parallel vectors has been studied. If one random vector of constant length is added to each constant vector, the resultant angular probability distribution departs widely from the distribution used by Fisher as the basis for palaeo‐magnetic analysis. However, if n random vectors of equal length are added to each constant vector and if n > 6, the resulting angular probability distribution is nearly identical to that proposed by Fisher over most of the range of angular dispersions encountered in palaeo‐magnetic investigations. Equations are developed from which the mean intensity of random magnetization can be calculated, given the mean total intensity and the angular dispersion. These parameters, in turn, are related to the ratio of random to non‐random magnetization for each ferromagnetic mineral grain in a rock specimen.