On the deconvolution of promptly measured luminescence signals in feldspars

Abstract

Thermally and optically stimulated luminescence signals from feldspars have been the subject of numerous experimental and modeling studies, due to the importance of these signals in luminescence dosimetry and luminescence dating. Despite these extensive previous studies, there are no standardized computerized deconvolution methods for analyzing these signals in the literature. In this paper we present a simple and consistent method which can be used to perform computerized deconvolution of thermoluminescence (TL), continuous-wave infrared stimulated luminescence (CW-IRSL) and linearly-modulated (LM-IRSL) signals from feldspars. The method can be used with promptly measured luminescence signals from laboratory irradiated samples. R scripts are used in several examples to carry out the deconvolution of TL, CW-IRSL and LM-IRSL luminescence signals from different types of feldspars, including K feldspars extracted from bedrock and from a suite of geological museum samples. The results of the analysis show that the TL glow curves can be described in a uniform manner, as the superposition of several components corresponding to different activation energies. All TL, CW-IRSL and LM-IRSL signals can be described by a narrow range of the dimensionless acceptor density parameter, consistent with previous analysis of these luminescence signals in the literature, which have concluded that these luminescence signals are likely to share a common recombination center.