Chronostratigraphy of the Vistulian Glaciation (Weichselian) on the Kujawy Moraine Plateau (Central Poland) Based on Lithostratigraphic Research and OSL Dating

The subject of the investigations presented here is fixing dilemmatic character (transgressive or recessive) of the Poznań phase of the Vistulian (Weichselian) Glaciation and answering the question about the possibility of lithostratigraphic separation of this phase from the Leszno phase in the region of so called Vistula lob. Here we present the outcomes of the research project carried out on a few tills exposures, which constitute the sedimentological record of the last ice sheet advance on the Kujawy Moraine Plateau. The absolute ages of 17 samples (collected from fluvial deposits uncovered in the geological logs) have been determined by means of the OSL method applying the single aliquots regenerative (SAR) dose protocol. The OSL data are analysed with regard to supposed bleaching conditions at the moment of the last transport and deposition of the material. In conclusion, some remarks on suitability of fluvial sands for OSL dating are made. In most of the investigated sites, there appears to exist only a single till level associated with the main stage of the Vistulian Glaciation. This fact and the results of OSL dating support the hypothesis, that the Poznań phase in Kujawy Moraine Plateau is not a distinct lithostratigraphic unit, but it is a recessive phase of the last glaciation

Using the TL Single-Aliquot Regenerative-Dose Protocol for the Verification of the Chronology of the Teutonic Order Castle in Malbork

The Teutonic Order Castle in Malbork is one of the precious medieval monuments in Europe. Because of the lack of natural rock resources in Pomerania, its walls are built almost exclusively of bricks. The huge volume and rich historical knowledge about the Malbork Castle makes it a marvellous object for TL dating. The parts of well known age can serve for the verification and improvement of dating method. Subsequently, gained in such way knowledge and experience can be applied for discovering the history of the rest of the castle. Here, the preliminary results of investigations which are still in progress, are presented for 5 brick samples. The applied TL dating procedure is described in detail. The very good accuracy of equivalent dose is achieved by the TL single-aliquot regenerative-dose protocol. The effect of wall inhomogeneity connected with the difference between the activity of the brick and mortar is discussed

Trap spectra of annealed quartz

The trap energy density spectra of natural quartz were investigated by the fractional glow technique. The thermal treatment before excitation induces the changes of thermoluminescence sensitivity as well as the changes of trap spectrum. After annealing at temperature higher than 400 C, a new kind of trap is observed. The frequency factor was determined by the fitting of the theoretical glow curve calculated using the trap depth measured by fractional glow technique to experimental one

Chernobyl fall out in salt from Ciechocinek, Poland

The initial interest in the total inventory of the radionuclide fission products ejected from Chernobyl has been replaced with concern about the deposition and accumulation in the environment of those isotopes with longer half lives, mainly Cs-137 and Cs-134. We present here the slightly unusual case of collection of caesium isotopes in the salt of graduation towers used in salt production. In this case, the radiocaesium first settled down from the air to the wetted surface of the graduation tower in Ciechocinek and then, due to crystallisation of the brine, was deposited in the salt.Początkowe obawy, dotyczące całkowitej emisji radioaktywnych zanieczyszczeń uwolnionych w wyniku katastrofy w Czarnobylu (1986) po pewnym czasie ustąpiły miejsca zaniepokojeniu związanemu z depozycją i akumulacją w środowisku długożyciowych izotopów promieniotwórczych, przede wszystkim cezu: Cs-137 i Cs-134. Przedstawiamy nieco zaskakujący przypadek nagromadzenia tych izotopów cezu w soli, pochodzącej z tężni w Ciechocinku, które są wykorzystywane do zagęszczania solanki. Atomy radioizotopów cezu najpierw osiadły na wilgotnych powierzchniach tężni, działających niczym gigantyczny filtr powietrza, a następnie, w wyniku krystalizacji solanki, znalazły się w soli, także tej paczkowanej i dostępnej m.in. w handlu. Należy zaznaczyć, że stężenie radioizotopów cezu okazało się tak niewielkie, że nie stwarzało zagrożenia dla zdrowia

Charge traps in Ce-doped CaF2 and BaF2

Thermoluminescence of CaF2:Ce, BaF2, and BaF2:Ce irradiated at room temperature is reported. X-ray induced emission spectra of the samples show that both excitonic (due to e- + VK recombination) and Ce3+ d-f luminescence may contribute to thermoluminescence signal. The simple Randall-Wilkins model is used to deconvolute glow curves into seven to eight first-order peaks. Parameters of all traps are calculated and correlations between peaks in the curves of the examined materials are discussed

TL dating of young aeolian deposits from from Kepa Kujawska

We report the results of thermoluminescence (TL) dating applied to sand samples from the dune in Kepa Kujawska, Poland. The emphasis is on the estimation of the residual TL. The tests for bleaching of natural TL with the use of daylight and a bleach simulator were carried out. From the results it follows that the residual TL is a significant part of the natural TL. The equivalent doses were determined by the regeneration method with the residual TL assumed as a starting level. The annual doses were calculated by means of gamma spectrometry. The ages of the bottom and top layers of the dune are 10.6 ka +/- 2.4 ka and 2.1 ka +/- 0.6 ka, respectively

Luminescence from beta-Irradiated graphene layers

We found that beta-irradiated samples of crystallite graphite and multi--walled carbon nanotubes emit light during heating above room temperature. This behaviour is rather surprising for semimetals. Due to the lack of deep enough energy gap, this optical emission cannot be associated with interband transitions, as it is usually assumed in a thermally stimulated luminescence model. We suppose that the reported accumulated luminescence is the result of thermally stimulated relaxation of some kind of defects created in graphene structures by ionising radiation and therefore we offer to name it the relaxoluminescence. We anticipate the relaxoluminescence to be a starting point for developing a new spectroscopic method for nanotechnology. It can also throw a new light on the nature of defects, which are suspected of being responsible for strange magnetic effects in carbon