Programme : Bachelor of Science (Second Year)

Subject : Geology

Semester : IV

Course Code : GEL-IV.E-6A

Course Title : Optical Mineralogy

Module : III

Lecture : Uniaxial Interference Figure – 1 & 2

Meghana S Devli, PhD

Assistant Professor
Parvatibai Chowgule College, Margao-Goa
Outline

• Introduction

• Formation

• Explanation

• Summary
Learning Outcomes

The student will be able to interpret formation of Uniaxial Interference Figures.

Introduction

• Basal section (section cut normal to the optic axis) of a uniaxial mineral with high birefringence
when viewed conoscopically in white light it produces:
a pattern consisting of a dark cross
It’s arms parallel to the cross-hairs and
a series of coloured concentric rings
each of which is a sequence of the colours of the Newton’s scale.

• If the axis of the microscope coincides with the optic axis of the mineral,
the uniaxial figure will be centered
with the two arms crossing at the intersection of the cross hairs;

• The figure remains unchanged as the stage is rotated.

• However, if the optic axis is inclined to the axis of the microscope, the point of
intersection of the cross arms lies away from the cross-hairs center.

• The intersection of the cross arms mark the point of emergence of the optic axis.

• As the stage is rotated the intersection of the cross arms describes a circle around the
cross-hairs intersection; the arms of the cross maintain their parallelism with the cross
hairs throughout the rotation of the stage.
• The greater the inclination of the optic axis to the microscope axis, the farther will be
the emergence of the optic axis from then centre of the microscope field.

• In other words, the eccentricity of the interference figure increases as the angle
between the optic axis and the microscope axis increases.

• But no matter how eccentric the figure, the cross arms maintain their parallelism with
the cross hairs.

• This important observation helps to differentiate an eccentric uniaxial figure from

some biaxial figures.
• The colour bands are always concentric around the intersection of the cross arms i.e.
around the emergence of the optic axis.

• The number of colour bands varies with the thickness of the section and the
birefringence of the mineral.

• A thick section may give number of orders of colours whereas a thin slice of the same
mineral may not yield bands of colour above the first order.

• Similarly a mineral with a greater birefringence will produce more colour bands.
Explanation

• The light rays converging on the mineral from below diverge upwards through the mineral
forming a series of cones of wider and wider angle as we go outwards from the central ray,
which is incident normally upon the mineral.

• The central ray, being parallel to the optic axis, is not doubly refracted. But the diverging rays do
not travel along the optic axis and hence suffer double refraction.

• Hence, as we proceed from the center of the microscope field to the edge, the relative
retardation increases.

• Moreover, as the inclination of the ray’s increases, the ellipticity of the indicatrix section to
which they are normal also increases.

• This meant that the birefringence increase as we move outwards leading to increasing relative
retardation. This is the cause of the concentric colour rings.
• Each ray of the convergent beam, as it passes through the mineral is refracted into two
rays since it strikes the mineral oblique to the optic axis.

• Of these two rays, the extraordinary ray vibrates in the plane containing the ray
direction and the optic axis.

• Since the optic axis is vertical, all the extraordinary rays will vibrate radially to the field
of the microscope.
• Consequently, the ordinary rays vibrate tangentially.

• Thus for a ray which emerges on the E-W diameter, the extraordinary will vibrate EW and the
ordinary ray NS.

• Similarly, for a ray emerging on the N-S diameter, the extraordinary ray vibrates N-S and the
ordinary ray E-W.

• Thus we see that the preferred vibration directions on the E-W and N-S diameter are parallel to
the vibration directions of the polars.

• Hence, these parts will be in extinction and so produce the dark cross.

• This status does not change on the rotation of the stage; hence the cross remains stationary.

• The arms of the cross intersect at the emergence of the optic axis.
http://image.slideserve.com/383764/uniaxial-interference-figure-n.jpg
• If the optic axis is inclined to the vertical, one of the rays in the cone travels along it.

• Hence the intersection of the cross becomes off centered and describes a circle as the stage
is rotated.
• When the optic axis is so oblique that its emergence falls outside the periphery of the
microscope field, only one arm of the cross is visible at a time.

• As the stage is rotated this arm moves across the field.

• It is always parallel to one of the cross hairs and its movement is parallel to the other.

• When the arm has exited the field, another appears, aligned at right angles to the first.
Summary

• Sections cut normal to the optic axis in case of uniaxial minerals show interference figures under
convergent light.

• The figure consists of an intersecting cross surrounded by isochromatic curves.

• The point of intersection of the cross, marks the emergence of the optic axis and is called the
melatope.
Q&A

1. Draw the uniaxial interference figure and label its parts along with the vibration directions.
References

Mandatory Reading
• Kerr, P., 1977, Optical Mineralogy, McGraw Hill Publishers.
• Nesse, D. W., 2012, Introduction to Optical Mineralogy, Oxford University Press.
• Perkins, Dexter. Mineralogy. Pearson New International Edition

Supplementary reading
• Klein, Cornelis and Hurlbut, Cornelis. Manual of Mineralogy
Thank You