热释光测年法

热释光测年法，或称热萤光定年法，是利用热释光效应（thermoluminescence）测量含有结晶体的矿物或烧制文物，自加热或烧制后经过时间的一种方法。利用热释光效应，可以根据样本所释放光子的能量判断出样本自从上一次被加热后至今所接受的环境背景辐射能量之和，因而估算自加热时间点至今经过的时间。^[1][2][3]

Figure 1: The three stages of thermoluminescence as outlined by Aitken (1985, 1998) and applied to a quartz grain (Keizars, 2008b)

Figure 2: The process of recharging and discharging thermoluminescent signal, as applied to beach sands. (modified from Aitken, 1998; Keizars, 2008a)

Figure 3: Thermoluminescence signature lost during migration of two sand grain sizes (Keizars, 2008).

Figure 4: Illustrated method of passively monitoring sand input (Keizars, 2003).

参见

• 放射测年法