Process / pipelineRadiometric
Electron Spin Resonance Dating
Electron spin resonance (ESR) dating is a chronometric method that determines the age of bones, teeth, mollusk shells, and sediments by measuring accumulated radiation-induced unpaired electrons. Developed by Michael Aitken in the 1980s, ESR detects free radicals trapped in mineral crystal structures. Unlike luminescence techniques that require heating or light exposure, ESR directly measures paramagnetic defects, making it particularly valuable for dating dental and skeletal remains that are inaccessible to other methods.
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Sources
- Grün, R. (1989). Electron spin resonance (ESR) dating. Quaternary International, 1, 65-109. DOI: 10.1016/1040-6182(89)90010-3 ↗
- Blackwell, B., & Schwarcz, H. P. (1992). ESR dating of tooth enamel: A review of the state of the art. Nuclear Tracks and Radiation Measurements, 20(2), 231-246. DOI: 10.1016/1359-0189(92)90004-M ↗
- Shlukov, I., & Aitken, M. J. (1990). Studies of ESR dose response in tooth enamel. Radiation Measurements, 19(3-4), 275-283. DOI: 10.1016/1350-4487(90)90061-Q ↗