Use of the LM-OSL technique for the detection of partial bleaching in quartz

We present a study of the sensitivity to light (ease-of-bleaching) of the trapped charge in sedimentary quartz grains using an optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) technique in which the intensity of the stimulation light is linearly increased during the measurement period. The technique is known as linear modulation OSL (LM-OSL). In controlled laboratory conditions, this technique has been employed to study the ease-of-bleaching of the trapped charge in quartz by comparing the OSL curves of quartz aliquots which have been either: (1) fully bleached, followed by a laboratory dose of β-irradiation, or (2) partially bleached, followed by the laboratory β-dose. The ratio of the OSL signals due to the β-dose from the partly and fully bleached aliquots is illustrated to be a potential indicator of the degree of optical resetting of the OSL signal in dating material. The key parameter governing the ease-of-bleaching is the photoionization cross-section of the trap involved. The concept is also demonstrated in a model study from which very good agreement with the experimental observations has been found. Potential applications of the technique to dating are discussed.