Luminescence dating: A new high sensitivity TL/OSL emission spectrometer

A new high sensitivity luminescence emission spectrometer was built with special regard to dating applications and methodological research. The samples are stimulated by means of a healer plate and/or various exchangeable light sources like a 850 nm laser diode, a Xenon lamp or a LED array. The luminescence light emitted by the sample over a 2 pi solid angle is collected by a combination of an elliptical mirror and optical lenses and projected onto the entrance slit of a high throughput spectrograph with exchangeable gratings. A liquid nitrogen cooled slowscan CCD-detector sensitive in the wavelength range from 200 to 1100 nm and with extremely low readout noise is mounted on the spectrograph. The efficient light collection guarantees the high sensitivity of the instrument, whereas the exchangeable gratings allow to optimise the detection efficiency and resolution. The layout of the instrument is presented and examples are given of phosphorescence, thermoluminescence (TL) and infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) spectra of selected feldspar and polymineral fine grain samples, measured with the new instrument. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.