The alpha effectiveness of the dating ESR signal in barite: possible dependence with age

The alpha effectiveness value (k-value) for the ESR (Electron Spin Resonance) signal due to SO₃^- in barite was revised by comparing the dose responses of the signal intensities to gamma rays and to 4 MeV He⁺ ion doses in natural sea-floor hydrothermal barite samples actually used for dating. Of the values obtained for a synthetic, a natural old, and a natural young samples, the one for the natural young sample is tentatively adopted, which is 0.053 ± 0.006, although further works are still necessary to establish this value.