Comparison of blue and red TL from quartz

Following a suggestion by Scholefield and Prescott that blue and red emissi ons in quartz may involve the same electron traps, we have made a detailed study of blue and red TL glow peaks in some Australian sedimentary quartz s amples (Scholefield, R.B., Prescott, J.R., 1999. The red thermoluminescence of quartz: 3-D spectral measurements. Radiat. Meas. 30, pp. 83-95). Allowi ng for thermal quenching of the blue TL, the Rapidly Bleaching Peak (at 325 degreesC for a ramp rate of 20 K s(-1)) and the low temperature peaks at 1 40-220 degreesC appear to be identical in the blue and red. We conclude tha t the electron traps are the same, but that the blue and red luminescence c enters probably do not occur in the same grains. On present evidence we can not determine whether or not the Slowly Bleaching Peak (at 375 degreesC for 20 K s(-1)) involves the same traps in the blue as in the red. As did Scho lefield and Prescott, we find no evidence of a red peak at 100 degreesC. (C ) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.