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Professor of Physics pmuzikar@purdue.edu Office: Physics 272 Telephone: (765) 494-3046 Fax: (765) 494-0706

B.S., Physics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 1974
Ph.D., Physics, Cornell University, 1980

Research Interests

Various aspects of geochronology form the focus of research. Specific topics include:

• The use of cosmogenic nuclides such as ¹⁰Be and ²⁶Al to determine exposure ages, burial ages, and erosion rates.
• Radiocarbon dating in archaeology and the earth sciences.
• The application of Bayesian statistics to issues in geochronology.

Selected publications

1. Correcting for contamination in AMS ¹⁴C dating, K. Mueller and P. Muzikar, Radiocarbon 44, p. 591 – 595, (2002).
2. Accelerator mass spectrometry in geologic research, P. Muzikar, D. Elmore, and D. E. Granger, GSA Bulletin 115, p. 643 – 654,  (2003).
3. Cosmogenic nuclide concentrations in episodically eroding surfaces: theoretical results, P. Muzikar, Geomorphology 97, p. 407 – 413, (2008).
4. General models for episodic surface denudation and its measurement by cosmogenic nuclides, P. Muzikar, Quaternary Geochronology 4, p. 50 – 55, (2009).
5. Inferring exposure ages and erosion rates from cosmogenic nuclides: a probabilistic formulation, P. Muzikar, Quaternary Geochronology 4,  p. 124 – 129, (2009).

Professional Experience

• Professor of Physics, Purdue University, 1995 – present
• Associate Professor of Physics, Purdue University, 1989 – 1995
• Assistant Professor of Physics, Purdue University, 1983 – 1989
• Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Illinois, 1980 – 1982

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