Dose estimation using quartz OSL in the non-linear region of the growth curve.

The reliability of equivalent-dose determinations on quartz made with the single-aliquot regenerative-dose (SAR) protocol is examined using a suite of sedimentary samples for which the equivalent dose is expected to be >200 Gy. Experiments on one sample were used to evaluate the precision obtained using the standard measurement procedure with (a) a range of pre-heat temperatures, and (b) a single pre-heat temperature. The precision is compared with that achieved using SAR for a repeated dose point after an initial pre-heat, and for a known dose given before the initial pre-heat. It is concluded that, at least for this sample, the scatter in OSL measurements dominates the spread in the estimates of De.