Thermoluminescence in sediments and historical supernovae explosions

Summary Thermoluminescence from the different layers of a recent core drilled in the Tyrrhenian Sea has been measured. The sedimentation rate of 0.115 cm y⁻¹ previously determined by the²¹⁰Pb−²²⁶Ra method allows the profile of TL to be obtained in the last 1500 years. We notice that sharp peaks in the TL intensity appear during the years in which records of hystorical supernovae explosions are given. A working model of the process based on the irradiation of dust in the upper atmosphere by γ-rays produced in the SN burst allows a satisfactory energy estimate of the observations to be done. Moreover, the profile shows the modulation of the irradiations of the Earth environment produced by the Sun in the past.