Infrared-Radiofluorescence (IR-RF) Dating of loess samples with independent age control from central Alaska – further investigations to establish IR-RF as a resilient dating method

红外辐射荧光（IR RF）测年法是测定沉积物颗粒最后阳光照射的一种方法。该方法适用于钾长石，可追溯到100 ka前，红外射频信号具有高稳定性。因此，该测年方法是发光测年的重要替代方法，尤其适用于建立中更新世沉积物的年代框架。到目前为止，与红外射频有关的方法问题仍然存在，需要解决，只有少数实验室使用红外射频测年。为了获得定年专家和第四纪科学家对该方法的更高接受度，进一步的调查是强制性的，必须概述IR-RF产生弹性的时间结果。本研究项目的目的是测试和进一步发展红外射频方法，将红外射频应用于主要来自北美黄土-古土壤序列的具有独立年龄控制的细粒样品。样品的年龄范围从全新世到中更新世。剂量恢复试验将用于修改红外射频单等分物方案。此外，还将对红外射频信号的可漂白性和饱和特性进行实验研究。由于所调查样品的年龄控制是独立的，因此可以观察到最终等效剂量测量和年龄测定的可靠性。基于实验结果，我们打算对红外射频发射背后的物理（电子路径）有更详细的了解。最后，目的是提供一种满足第四纪测年方法领域所需的高质量标准的测年方法。

Infrared Radiofluorescence (IR RF) dating is a method to determine the last sunlight exposure of sediment grains. The method is applied to potassium feldspar, has the potential to date back several 100 ka and the IR RF signal is characterized by high stability. Hence, the dating method is an important alternative to luminescence dating and it is especially relevant to establish chronological frameworks for Middle Pleistocene sediments. Until now, there are still several methodological issues related to IR RF, that need to be solved and only few dating laboratories apply IR RF. To obtain a higher acceptance of the method among dating specialists and Quaternary scientists further investigations are mandatory and it has to be outlined that IR-RF yields resilient chronological results. The aim of this research project is to test and further develop the IR RF method by applying IR RF to fine-grain samples with independent age control mainly taken from northern American loess-palaeosol sequences. The age of the samples ranges from the Holocene to the Middle Pleistocene. Dose recovery tests will be applied to modify the IR RF single aliquot protocol. Furthermore, experiments concerning the bleachability and the saturation behavior of the IR RF signal will be conducted. The reliability of final equivalent dose measurements and age determinations can be observed due to the given independent age control of investigated samples.Based on the results of the experiments, we intend to obtain a more detailed understanding of physics (electron pathways) behind the IR RF emission. Finally, the aim is to provide a dating approach that fulfills the high quality criteria needed in the field of Quaternary dating methods.