Experimental and computational simulation of beta-dose heterogeneity in sediment

Interpreting the spread in equivalent-dose estimates is an important aspect of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. Ideally, prior to age estimation, an assessment should be made of the likely spread in equivalent dose due to dose-rate heterogeneity in the sediment. Such a procedure would greatly increase the validity of OSL ages, particularly for sediments susceptible to partial bleaching, and for sediments with coarse or poorly sorted grain-size distributions. In this paper we take a step towards a general model of dose-rate heterogeneity by simulating the ⁴⁰K-derived beta dose to quartz. We present an experimental simulation of the ⁴⁰K beta dose, and compare the results with a Monte Carlo simulation of the same experiment. The experiment uses artificially produced ²⁴Na to simulate the ⁴⁰K beta dose to quartz, allowing a large, heterogeneous dose to be administered in a short period of time. The Monte Carlo simulation correctly predicts the shape of the equivalent-dose distribution, but underestimates the spread in dose received by different grains. The experimental set-up provides a new avenue of research into beta-dose heterogeneity.     

Testing the reliability of ESR dating of optically exposed buried quartz sediments

Optical dating of quartz by optically stimulated luminescence has a time range that is generally less than about 500 ka, due to relatively rapid saturation of the available luminescence defects in quartz. We test here a new method, electron spin resonance (ESR) optical dating of quartz, in which radiation-sensitive defects at aluminum and titanium atoms on silicon sites give rise to signals which can only be detected near liquid nitrogen temperature and which have a much higher capacity to absorb radiation dose before saturating than optical luminescence-detected signals. Our results show this method yields agreement with independent age control out to about 2.5 million years, extending here the dating range of optically exposed quartz in sediments in along-shore sediments (aeolian and waterlain) by a factor of about 5. Three sites in along-shore lacustrine and marine aeolian environments yielded very good agreement with independent age control. Details of single saturating exponential fitting in relation to agreement with expected burial doses and annealing of Al and Ti signals provide additional data to consider the best approaches to the dating method. Furthermore, we propose a new criterion for ESR optical dating: both the Al signal and Ti signal ages must agree to insure accurate burial ages. Moreover, when Al signal ages are lower than Ti signal ages, then the Al signal may be taken as the minimum burial age.     

Uranium series disequilibrium detection and annual dose determination: A case study on Magdalenian ferruginous heated sandstones (La Honteyre,France)

Disequilibria in uranium series and their consequences on the annual dose determination in luminescence dating studies are now well-known, but only a few studies refer to the systematic research of this kind of phenomenon, and eventually to how the problem has been misguided. The present work aims at considering a new case study: anciently heated ferruginous sandstones from a Magdalenian archaeological site have been dated by thermoluminescence. In this work, uranium series disequilibrium has been detected both in samples and surrounding sediments, using high resolution low background gamma spectrometry measurements. Further investigations, in particular with alpha-spectrometry measurements and geochemical considerations, helped us to understand when and how the disequilibrium began, and it led us to propose a specific simple model, based on a continuous and regular enrichment in uranium, for the evaluation of the mean annual dose absorbed by the samples to be dated. This work deals with the results of gamma and alpha-spectrometry as well as the dose variation model proposed and the dating results obtained, in terms of annual dose determination and in terms of age obtained.     

碳酸盐沉积物的ESR断代

本文用ESR断代法测定某些碳酸盐沉积物的年代,其结果与¹⁴法符合得很好。对影响ESR断代法测定精度的一些因素进行了详细的讨论,如样品的处理、ESR测量、数据处理,年剂量和总累积剂量的测定。     

Dose-rate effects on the bulk etch-rate of CR-39 track detector exposed to low-let radiations

The effect of gamma-rays and pulsed electrons has been investigated on the bulk etch rate of CR-39 detector at doses up to 100 kGy under various dose-rate between 0.0044 and 35.0 Gy/s. The bulk etch rate increased exponentially with the dose at every examined dose-rates. It was reveled to be strongly depend on the dose-rate: the bulk etch rate was decreased with increasing dose-rate at the same total dose. A primitive model was proposed to explain the dose-rate effect in which oxygen dissolved was assumed to dominate the damage formation process.     

Environmental gamma-ray dose rate measurement by using ultra-high sensitive LiF:Mg,Cu,Si TLD

Environmental gamma-ray dose rates were measured by using ultra-high sensitive LiF:Mg,Cu,Si thermoluminescence dosimeters (TLDs) during short-term burial. The resultant gamma-ray dose rates were compared with those measured by using optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) of Al₂O₃:C and assessed by using HPGe spectrometer. Regardless of the short-term burial and the change of environmental conditions as well as the mismatch of the effective atomic number (Z_eff) with the soil (mainly SiO₂), good agreement was observed between the doses measured by TLDs and OSL dosimeters or the assessed doses. LiF:Mg,Cu,Si TLD has been found to be an effective alternative for the measurement of environmental gamma-ray annual dose rates for use in optical dating.     

超深亚微米互补金属氧化物半导体器件的剂量率效应

对0.18 μm互补金属氧化物半导体(CMOS)工艺的N型金属氧化物半导体场效应晶体管(NMOSFET)及静态随机存储器(SRAM)开展了不同剂量率下的电离总剂量辐照试验研究. 结果表明: 在相同累积剂量, SRAM的低剂量率辐照损伤要略大于高剂量率辐照的损伤, 并且低剂量率辐照损伤要远大于高剂量率辐照加与低剂量率辐照时间相同的室温退火后的损伤. 虽然NMOSFET 低剂量率辐照损伤略小于高剂量率辐照损伤, 但室温退火后, 高剂量率辐照损伤同样要远小于低剂量率辐照损伤. 研究结果表明0.18 μm CMOS工艺器件的辐射损伤不是时间相关效应. 利用数值模拟的方法提出了解释CMOS器件剂量率效应的理论模型.     

Solar particle event dose and dose-rate distributions: parameterization of dose-time profiles, with subsequent dose-rate analysis.

Calculations of total dose and equivalent dose as functions of time, as well as dose-rate and equivalent dose rate since event start are presented for fifteen of the larger solar particle events that occurred during the period between November 1987 and August 1991. The doses, dose-equivalents, and rates presented are for exposures to the skin, ocular lens, and bone marrow behind a thickness of aluminum shielding which provides protection comparable to that of a thin spacecraft. The calculated dose vs time profiles are parameterized using a Weibull cumulative distribution as the fitting function. Parameters are determined using least-squares techniques. Fitted curves are then differentiated to produce smoothed dose-rate curves for each of the events. These results provide a useful starting point for the development of methods to predict the cumulative doses and times to reach various dose limits from a limited number of dosimeter measurements early in the evolution of a solar particle event.     

The basic principle of radioluminescence dating and a localized transition model

The IR signal of the radioluminescence of potassium feldspars is caused by the luminescent transition of electrons into optically active traps. This allows the direct determination of the density of trapped electrons and therefore a method of sediment dating with higher precision and accuracy than conventional luminescence dating. The principle behind it and its advantages are presented, in particular the fact that it is a real single aliquot dating technique. The explanation of both radioluminescence and IR-optically stimulated luminescence (IR-OSL) in terms of a band model is possible after the introduction of a localized transition. In contrast to previous models, the process of dose accumulation in the sediment was simulated using a dose rate as low as in real sediments. Preheat experiments indicate that the recombination centres are the unstable part of the luminescence process. The parameters of these centres are equal to those previously assigned to thermally unstable electron traps. Furthermore, the sources of systematic errors in conventional IR-OSL dating are discussed.     

Quartz luminescence response to a mixed alpha-beta field: Investigations on Romanian loess

Previous SAR-OSL dating studies using quartz extracted from Romanian and Serbian loess samples report SAR-OSL dose–response curves on fine grained (4–11 μm) quartz that grow to much higher doses compared to those of coarse-grained (63–90, 90–125, 125–180 μm) quartz. Furthermore, quartz SAR-OSL laboratory dose response curves do not reflect the growth of the OSL signal in nature. A main difference in coarse- and fine-grained quartz dating lies in the alpha irradiation history, but the effect of mixed alpha-beta fields has so far received little attention. In the present study we investigate whether the alpha dose experienced by fine grains over geological cycles of irradiation and bleaching may have an effect on the saturation characteristics of the laboratory dose response. By applying time resolved optically stimulated luminescence we confirm that the OSL signals induced in quartz by alpha and beta radiation follow the same recombination path. We also show that a mixed alpha-beta dose response reproduces the beta dose response only up to about 800 Gy. Assuming an a-value of 0.04 we have shown that laboratory alpha and beta dose response curves overlap up to effective alpha doses of ∼50 Gy. Based on these results, we conclude that exposure of fine grains to alpha radiation during burial and transport cycles prior to deposition, as well exposure to the mixed radiation field experienced during burial are not responsible for the age discrepancies previously reported on fine and coarse grained quartz extracted from Romanian and Serbian loess.     

Potential of the slow component of quartz OSL for age determination of sedimentary samples

The slow component of quartz OSL exhibits a high thermal stability, and, in many of the samples studied, a high dose saturation level (several hundreds or, even thousands, of Grays). These properties suggest that the slow component has potential as a long-range dating tool. Initial attempts have been made to obtain equivalent doses for a number of sedimentary samples. Single- and multiple-aliquot techniques were modified for use with the slow component. The results indicate that there is a good potential for sediment dating, particularly for samples of significant age. Experiments concerning the optical resetting of the slow component suggest that, given its slow optical depletion rate, dating may be restricted to aeolian sediments.     

Characterization of a Ce3+ doped SiO2 optical dosimeter for dose measurements in HDR brachytherapy

Aim of this work was to study the application of a new miniaturized Ce³⁺ doped SiO₂ scintillation detector to in vivo dosimetry in high dose rate brachytherapy. Energy, dose-rate, temperature and angular dependences of the detector response to ¹⁹²Ir HDR brachytherapy fields were investigated, as well as sensitivity reproducibility and linearity. To this aim, two ad hoc phantoms were designed and developed to perform measurements in water. Intra-session reproducibility resulted to be very high, however inter-session reproducibility showed too high statistical variation. Detector response resulted to increase linearly with dose (R² = 0.997), with no evidence of energy and dose-rate dependence. Sensitivity resulted to increase linearly with temperature (R² = 0.995), with a 0.2% increase each °C. Finally, no significant angular dependence for the source moving around a circle in the azimuthal plane centered at the scintillator was observed. The obtained results show that the proposed detector is suitable for in vivo real-time dosimetry in high dose rate brachytherapy.     

The effects of low ambient temperatures on optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) processes: Relevance to OSL dating of martian sediments

Advances in luminescence dosimetry have made geochronological dating of materials from extreme environments possible through the use of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) single-aliquot techniques. However, these environments present challenges not always encountered in routine OSL dating, such as sediments that have been stored at low, and possibly highly variable, ambient temperatures. In recent years OSL has been proposed as a method for dating recent depositional events on surfaces of other planets, specifically, Mars. As a result it has become necessary to examine the constraints that may be imposed on the OSL method by the extreme environments of extraterrestrial planetary bodies. In this paper we report on investigations of the possible effects a low storage and/or a low OSL measurement temperature could have on the OSL process and the subsequent results. Pertinent OSL properties include the stability of electron traps, the overall luminescence efficiency, and possible thermal assistance processes. The particular focus of the work is on the potential application of the OSL technique for dating surface sediments on Mars. We report the results of OSL experiments on martian simulant materials, and of generalized computer simulations of potential OSL behavior. It is concluded that the stimulation and irradiation/calibration temperatures need to be maintained fixed throughout the experiment – i.e. the dose estimation process – and that the temperature during OSL stimulation needs to be appreciably higher than the highest temperature experienced during natural irradiation. The consequences of these findings for establishing an OSL protocol and instrument package for dating martian regolith material are discussed.     

A variable narrow bandpass optically stimulated luminescence system for quaternary geochronology

A new optically stimulated luminescence system is devised for dating Quaternary geologic sediments. This instrument can provide any chosen wavelength between 400 and 850 nm with a bandwidth of 0.4–20.4 nm and a beam intensity adjustable between 7 and 110% of full power. The measured radiant flux at the sample position varies between 9.7 and 34.3 mW/cm², providing sufficient energy for photoluminescence studies. It is hoped that this instrument will reveal the optimal wavelengths and bandwidths for dating Quaternary waterlain and other poorly light-exposed sediments.     

光度法对不同水期黄河甘宁蒙段表层沉积物中磷积累程度和交换能力的比较研究

磷是水体富营养化的主要控制因素,在外源磷输入逐步得到控制后,作为内源磷主要来源的表层沉积物对黄河水体水质的影响作用不容忽视。掌握表层沉积物中磷的积累程度以及沉积物-水界面磷的交换能力,对区域内水环境的治理和磷负荷的调控具有重要的意义。选择黄河甘宁蒙段作为研究区域,分别采集丰水期(2011.07)、枯水期(2014.05)和平水期(2014.10)表层沉积物样品,使用标准测试程序(SMT)和钼锑抗分光光度法测定样品中磷赋存形态,并在实验条件下模拟表层沉积物对磷的等温吸附及吸附动力学过程。研究发现：(1) 相比于国内主要河流表层沉积物中磷的形态特征,黄河甘宁蒙段表层沉积物中有机磷(OP)和铁/铝结合态磷(NaOH-P)含量相对较低,钙结合态磷(HCl-P)含量较高;各形态磷含量的平均值均在丰水期最高,表明丰水期表层沉积物中磷的积累程度最高,黄河甘宁蒙段水环境受到沿程农业发展的冲击较大。因此,合理使用含磷化肥和优化灌渠退水水质是未来降低黄河水体磷污染风险的发展方向。(2) 基于低磷浓度下等温吸附中各采样点表层沉积物吸附-解吸平衡浓度(EPC₀)与判断水体发生富营养化的磷浓度阈值的比较发现,研究区域所有水期大多数采样点表层沉积物发挥着“磷源”的作用,存在向上覆水释放磷的趋势,且枯水期中多数采样点的EPC₀值较高,“磷源”作用更加明显;基于L模型和F模型对高磷浓度下等温吸附的拟合参数,显示丰水期表层沉积物对磷的持留能力最强,枯水期次之,平水期最小,所有采样点表层沉积物对磷的吸附过程均易发生;基于吸附动力学曲线的变化趋势可知,所选择的各采样点磷吸附量在反应开始的12 h内迅速增大,12~48 h内吸附量逐渐增加并趋于稳定;基于伪二级动力学方程对吸附动力学过程的拟合结果,表明表层沉积物对磷吸附过程的反应速率受化学吸附控制为主;从同一水期不同采样点吸附过程中的限速步骤不同及不同水期邻近采样点吸附过程中限速步骤均为微孔扩散的结果发现,表层沉积物组成和理化性质的差异对磷吸附速率的影响大于不同水期条件下上覆水流速和流量的变化。     

沉积物中石英ESR测年功率饱和效应的初步研究

介绍了几组沉积物中石英ESR功率饱和效应的基础实验情况,认为在用石英进行ESR测年时,微波功率的选择是一个重要参数,它直接影响累积剂量(AD)的求取,从而严重影响测年结果。在某些特定的地质环境下(如黄土,海洋沉积物),采用比较高的微波功率,可从沉积物石英的E＇心得到较老沉积物(大于50万年)可信的ESR年代。     

沉积物中石英ESR测年功率饱和效应的初步研究

介绍了几组沉积物中石英ESR功率饱和效应的基础实验情况,认为在用石英进行ESR测年时,微波功率的选择是一个重要参数,它直接影响累积剂量(AD)的求取,从而严重影响测年结果。在某些特定的地质环境下(如黄土,海洋沉积物),采用比较高的微波功率,可从沉积物石英的E'心得到较老沉积物(大于50万年)可信的ESR年代。     

Radioluminescence dating of sediments: methodological aspects

Radioluminescence (RL) at 865 nm (1.42 eV) — a characteristic of potassium feldspar — has been applied successfully in the dating of Quaternary sediments. The signal can be interpreted as the infrared (IR)-emitting electron transition into a light sensitive trap. Direct measurement of the electron density is thus possible, and this is the basic advantage of this new method. Further investigations have been carried out to develop a precise and reliable IR-RL dating procedure. Besides the already applied additive dose total bleach technique, that of total bleach regeneration and a combination of both (slide technique) were tested in the dating of different aeolian and waterlaid sediments. New bleaching experiments show that about 10 min of light exposure (about 300–700 nm) is sufficient to reach the saturation level of the IR-RL signal. Palaeodose determinations of recently deposited sediments result, in most cases, in an age equivalent to <6 ka. The results of spectral RL measurements suggest that use of non-spectral-resolving detection systems would require an interference filter to reject the unwanted influence of a red RL emission wave-band.     

Assessing the impact of pulsed-irradiation procedures on the thermally transferred OSL signal in quartz

Thermally transferred optically stimulated luminescence (TT-OSL) dating protocols have been suggested as a means of extending the age range of luminescence dating. Several studies demonstrate that TT-OSL signals increase with large radiation doses (>2000 Gy) and yet, few studies report older TT-OSL ages (>400 Gy) in agreement with independent absolute age control. In one such study, agreement with independent chronology was only achieved for the old samples by implementing a pulsed-irradiation procedure. Pulsed-irradiation is suggested to compensate for dose rate dependent competition effects by dividing the laboratory irradiation into discrete irradiation steps interspersed with heat treatments. However, every inter-step heat treatment has the potential to anneal part of the TT-OSL dating signal. This study compares constant- and pulsed-irradiation TT-OSL protocols and investigates the degree of partial thermal annealing. The results suggest that almost all of the difference in outcome between constant- and pulsed-irradiation protocols can be explained by partial annealing of the TT-OSL signal rather than by competition effects. Partial annealing distorts the laboratory dose response curve but has no impact on the natural signal, resulting in unreliable equivalent dose estimates. This means that pulsed-irradiation procedures may not be viable for TT-OSL dating measurements. Future studies implementing pulsed-irradiation procedures should carefully consider the extent to which inter-step thermal treatments partially anneal the signal.