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On the relationship between K concentration, grain size and dose in feldspar

On the relationship between K concentration, grain size and dose in feldspar Thumbnail


Abstract

Previous work has been unable to establish a relationship between K concentration and De in single-grains of feldspar. Here we use four well-bleached sediments with low external dose rate (typically =1.5 Gy ka-1) to investigate this relationship. Single and multi-grain pIRIR measurements and µ-XRF analyses are made on Na- and K-rich extracts; µ-XRF is directly applied to grains sitting in single-grain discs to minimise uncertainty in grain identification. Micro-XRF is shown to be sufficiently precise and accurate and luminescence instrument reproducibility is confirmed using dose recovery measurements on heated feldspar. We are again unable to establish any correlation between single-grain De and K concentration, even in feldspar grains for which the internal dose rate should dominate. We also measure highly variable Rb concentrations in these grains and are unable to detect, at the single-grain level, the correlation between K and Rb previously observed in multi-grain investigations. Nevertheless, these results are unable to explain the lack of De correlation with K. Finally, we investigate the dependence of De on grain size (isochrons). Linear correlations are observed but slopes are inconsistent with model prediction. We conclude that this surprising absence of the expected relationships between dose and K concentration and grain size does not arise from analytical precision, incomplete bleaching, sediment mixing or fading. It appears that we cannot measure feldspar doses in these samples as accurately as we thought.

Acceptance Date Jun 2, 2018
Publication Date Dec 15, 2018
Publicly Available Date Mar 28, 2024
Journal Radiation Measurements
Print ISSN 1350-4487
Publisher Elsevier
Pages 181-187
DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radmeas.2018.06.003
Keywords Feldspar; Potassium; Rubidium; Dose; Isochron
Publisher URL https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radmeas.2018.06.003

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