熱釋光測年法

熱釋光測年法，或稱熱螢光定年法，是利用熱釋光效應（thermoluminescence）測量含有結晶體的礦物或燒製文物，自加熱或燒制後經過時間的一種方法。利用熱釋光效應，可以根據樣本所釋放光子的能量判斷出樣本自從上一次被加熱後至今所接受的環境背景輻射能量之和，因而估算自加熱時間點至今經過的時間。^[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).

參見

• 放射測年法