Pulsed ESR measurements on fossil teeth

Deconvolution of X-band spectra has shown that the signal that is used in dating studies is composed of at least three different peaks. Our measurements show that pulsed ESR can separate the axial signal from two wider peaks that are suspected of interfering with any reliable dose assessment. However, its significantly lower sensitivity prohibits the routine application of pulsed ESR in dating studies. The spin relaxation time, T-2, of the CO2- centre as determined from spin echo decay curves, is in the range of about 500 to 640 ns, depending on the spin concentration. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.