Ok, this is probably the weirdest question I've ever asked… I've done some research on google about metal alloys, but so far I haven't found the answers I'm looking for
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Thanks for all your answers! Somebody actually contacted me on facebook (I asked there also) and told me about PIXE, which is exactly what I had been looking for. I would have put it in the entry, but I couldn't edit it or access it... PIXE doesn't require taking a sample, which is great since the object can't be cut (even with a laser) or taken apart (that's the whole point of this alliage: absolutely impossible to break).
ffutures, thanks A LOT for that! The questions are really great, and I'm sure I can use them in the book somehow, at least to give some more details about the object.
Still looking for a way to date it, though :( the trace of cosmic ray method seems awesome, I was actually thinking about something along these lines, but I guess it can't be too precise... We are looking at a couple hundred years, here. What would be great, though, would be to have something like cesium 137. Would there be a reason for a metal alloy to be radioactive, if there was, let's say, a huge nuclear war? The alloy would be created after the war. If one of the components has been affected by radioactivity, would it show later in the alloy? Sorry, my explanations aren't the best, and as you can guess, English isn't my mother language. It really shows when I start to talk about stuff like that, since I would have difficulties explaining it all in French too ^^
Could it be dated from context? That is, if it's found in a layer of rock and you date that, the object is at least that old. Or there's something once living found with it you can do a C-14 test on.
Nah, it's actually a small marble found under a bed ^^ (and placed there, of course, by somebody, but nobody knows who or when the marble was put there)
ffutures, thanks A LOT for that! The questions are really great, and I'm sure I can use them in the book somehow, at least to give some more details about the object.
Still looking for a way to date it, though :( the trace of cosmic ray method seems awesome, I was actually thinking about something along these lines, but I guess it can't be too precise... We are looking at a couple hundred years, here.
What would be great, though, would be to have something like cesium 137. Would there be a reason for a metal alloy to be radioactive, if there was, let's say, a huge nuclear war? The alloy would be created after the war. If one of the components has been affected by radioactivity, would it show later in the alloy?
Sorry, my explanations aren't the best, and as you can guess, English isn't my mother language. It really shows when I start to talk about stuff like that, since I would have difficulties explaining it all in French too ^^
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Could it be dated from context? That is, if it's found in a layer of rock and you date that, the object is at least that old. Or there's something once living found with it you can do a C-14 test on.
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