Efforts to obtain relevant dating information, by investigating the electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of various paramagnetic defects in mineral zircon (ZrSiO4) crystals as a function of the irradiation dose, annealing time and the temperature were described. The rare-earth ions, Dy3+ and Tb3+, which played a crucial role as hole traps and recombination centers, were investigated in detail and the behaviour of the intensity of the EPR spectra associated with these impurities could be understood in terms of a theoretical model describing the luminescence related processes in zircon. In addition, a number of defects, which could be characterized by SiOmn- were identified and investigated. Also the behaviour of some of these centers was analyzed in the framework of the theoretical model.

EPR Study of Radiation-Induced Defects in the Thermoluminescence Dating Medium Zircon (ZrSiO4). M.A.Laruhin, H.J.van Es, G.R.Bulka, A.A.Turkin, D.I.Vainshtein, H.W.den Hartog: Journal of Physics - Condensed Matter, 2002, 14[14], 3813-31