DRAC: Dose Rate and Age Calculator for trapped charge dating
Institution:
1. School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK;2. Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne, Bâtiment Geopolis, UNIL-Mouline, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland;3. Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 3DB, UK;1. State Key Laboratory of Isotope Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China;2. Department of Earth Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China;3. Centre for Archaeological Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia;4. Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;1. CNRS – Université de Bordeaux-Montaigne, UMR 5060, IRAMAT-CRP2A, Maison de l''archéologie, Esplanade des Antilles, 33607 Pessac Cedex, France;2. Laboratoire de Mathématiques Jean Leray (LMJL) CNRS: UMR6629, Université de Nantes, France;1. Nordic Laboratory for Luminescence Dating, Department of Geoscience, Aarhus University, DTU Risø Campus, Roskilde 4000, Denmark;2. Center for Nuclear Technologies, Technical University of Denmark, DTU Risø Campus, Roskilde 4000, Denmark;3. Geological Survey of Israel, 30 Malkhe Israel Street, Jerusalem 95501, Israel;4. Dead Sea-Arava Science Center, Patio 655, Eilat 88133, Israel;1. Department of Science, Systems and Models, Roskilde University, Denmark;2. Nordic Laboratory for Luminescence Dating, Department of Geoscience, Aarhus University, Denmark;3. Center for Nuclear Technologies, Technical University of Denmark, DTU Risø Campus, Denmark;4. Institute for Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology, Free University Berlin, Germany;5. DNRF Centre “Glass and Time,” Department of Science, Systems and Models, Roskilde University, Denmark;1. Center for Nuclear Technologies, Technical University of Denmark, DTU Risø Campus, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark;2. Institut de Recherche sur les Archéomatériaux, UMR 5060 CNRS – Université de Bordeaux, Centre de Recherche en Physique Appliquée à l''Archéologie (CRP2A), Esplanade des Antilles, Maison de l''archéologie, 33607 Pessac Cedex, France;3. Nordic Laboratory for Luminescence Dating, Department of Geoscience, Aarhus University, DTUNutech, Risø Campus, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
Abstract:
Accurate calculation of the environmental radiation dose rate (?) is an essential part of trapped charge dating methods, such as luminescence and electron spin resonance dating. Although the calculation of ? is not mathematically complex, the incorporation of multiple variables and the propagation of uncertainties can be challenging. The Dose Rate and Age Calculator (DRAC) is an open access, web-based program which enables rapid ? calculation for trapped charge dating applications. Users can select from recently published attenuation and conversion factors to make mathematically robust, reproducible ? calculations. Comparison of DRAC calculated ? values against the published ? determinations of 422 samples from 32 studies results in a reproducibility ratio of 1.01 ± 0.05. It is anticipated that DRAC will facilitate easier inter-laboratory comparisons and will provide greater transparency for ? calculations. DRAC will be updated to reflect the latest advances in ? calculation and is freely accessible at www.aber.ac.uk/alrl/drac. The code for DRAC is available from github at https://github.com/DRAC-calculator/DRAC-calculator.
