a b s t r a c tThe aging effects in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6+d have been investigated on the low-speed quenched samples in contrast to other similar studies where the high-speed quenched samples were examined. In the framework of the investigation, XPS analysis has been conducted for the samples stored after quenching for the specified times s and a detailed experimental dependence of the YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6+d lattice parameters a, b, and c on both d and s has been obtained. The regime of low-speed quenching results in a threefold increase in the aging effect magnitude. Particular cases of the c(d; s) dependence are well described by a second-order polynomial with applying different coefficients for different s. The behavior c has been explained on the basis of a simple model of the Coulomb interaction between the CuO 2 and CuO d structural planes, in which the hole charge transfer from CuO d to CuO 2 takes place providing the standard level of T c in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6+d (this level is characterized by a maximum T c of 93 K at d = 0.9). It has been demonstrated that the c(d; s) dependence is a good alternative to assessing the hole concentration in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6+d . By analyzing the c(d; s) experimental dependence as well as the data on the hole localization in the pairs CuAO obtained by XPS, the authors have made a conclusion about the nature of observed aging effects. The latter are likely to be related to the transition of the Cu 3d 9 L À1 electron configuration to Cu 3d 8 for copper in the basal plane of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6+d at RT.