MSc David S.K. Muessle (2016)

Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) is a powerful tool to date young formations commonly applied in the dating of Quaternary deposits. In this thesis sandstone and quartzite have been investigated. Those were used as targets in cratering experiments during the Multidisciplinary Experimental and Modelling Impact Crater Research Network (MEMIN) campaign. One aim was to quantify the effect of daylight influence, with depth, on the OSL signal. These measurements for daylight penetration were conducted on unshocked, natural whole rock material that was cored and cut with low power tools to prevent any influence of the signal behaviour by the sample preparation. Other aims included the quantification of shock-/pressure influence. These samples were prepared in the same way as the unshocked samples. Those experiments included four craters in sandstone as well as two Split- Hopkinson Pressure bar (SHPB) experiments conducted on quartzite. Intention was to find out if the OSL-signal is influenced by shock-/pressure-waves. Learning how to prepare and measure whole rock samples was one of the main laboratory tasks during the sample preparation. Findings from and the work conducted in this thesis strongly suggests that small scale lab experiments, under the investigated framework conditions, are not able to completely reset this signal, but change the OSL behaviour of the samples. Further investigations should be focused on the study of optimized larger scale experiments and the investigation of natural craters. Findings from this investigation suggest a surficial reset of the OSL signal through daylight exposure. Influence of daylight to deeper depth levels is dependent on the grain size, transmissibility and the exposure time. For impact experiments on sandstone a signal influence could be observed (no complete reset). Elastic waves (SHPB) seem not to influence the signal in non-porous material (quartzite) whatsoever.