The thermal stability of thermoluminescence in chondritic meteorites

Laboratory heating experiments on the thermoluminescence (TL) stored in the Kirin meteorite indicate that the order in which different traps release electrons in giving rise to a glow curve may not reflect the order of stability under low-temperature fading. This behaviour can be reproduced using numerical calculations. A simple theoretical explanation of this phenomenon is given, and it is suggested that it may be of some use in extracting more detailed information on the thermal history of meteorites from TL glow curves. (author)