The D e (T, t) plot: A straightforward self-diagnose tool for post-IR IRSL dating procedures

This study presents a new self-diagnose method for the recently developed post-IR infrared stimulated luminescence (pIRIR) dating protocols. This criterion studies the dependence of equivalent dose (D e) on measurement-temperature (T) and time (t), by applying the D e (t) analysis to the IRLS and pIRIR signals measured under different temperatures, and combines these D e (t) plots into one, so-called the D e (T, t) plot. The pattern of the D e (T, t) plot is shown to be affected by anomalous fading, partial bleaching and non-bleachable signal. A D e plateau can be achieved in the D e (T, t) plot only when the effects of these factors are insignificant. Therefore, this plot can be used as a self-diagnose tool for the validity of pIRIR results. The D e (T, t) analysis has been applied to four recently developed pIRIR protocols, using aeolian samples with different ages. The results show that this self-diagnose tool can be applied to different pIRIR protocols for validating the pIRIR dating results and evaluating the pIRIR measurement conditions.