Dose recovery tests using Ti-related ESR signals in quartz : First results

Experimental results from ESR dose recovery tests using Ti-related absorption lines in sedimentary quartz will be presented and discussed. The tests were performed on two Late Pleistocene Australian dune sands with a known burial dose based on OSL measurements. The regenerative dose technique (after thermal annealing) was used to detect any differences between ESR estimates of the natural dose, and ESR estimates of an equal laboratory gamma-dose. The studied absorption lines show consistent results with regard to the laboratory dose, but inconsistencies regarding the recovery of the natural dose. Line-shape changes between the natural and artificially induced ESR signals are a matter of concern. These changes are probably the result of the different relative abundance of Ti–H and Ti–Li centres in the naturally irradiated and artificially irradiated sample.