[2] ESR dating measures the amount of unpaired electrons in crystalline structures that were previously exposed to natural radiation.
[3] Electron spin resonance dating is being used in fields like radiation chemistry, biochemistry, and as well as geology, archaeology, and anthropology.
After a short time, electrons eventually recombine with the positively charged holes left in the valence band.
[6] The trapped electrons form para-magnetic centers and give rise to certain signals that can be detected by ESR spectrometry.
This ESR signal is directly proportional to the number of trapped electrons in the mineral, the dosage of radioactive substances, and the age.
[2] Positioning an ESR line in a spectrum corresponds to the proportion (g-value) of the microwave frequency to magnetic field strength used in the spectrometry.
[2] Factors to include in calculating the radioactivity: Trapped electrons only have a limited time frame when they are within the intermediate energy level stages.
After a certain time range, or temperature fluctuations, trapped electrons will return to their energy states and recombine with holes.
[2] The recombination of electrons with their holes is only negligible if the average life is ten times higher than the age of the sample being dated.