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Optical Mineralogy in A Nutshell: Use of The Petrographic Microscope in Three Easy Lessons
Optical Mineralogy in A Nutshell: Use of The Petrographic Microscope in Three Easy Lessons
© Jane Selverstone
Quick review
• Isotropic minerals –velocity changes as light enters
mineral, but then is the same in all directions thru xtl;
no rotation or splitting of light.
calcite
ca
lci
te
calc
ite
calcite calcite
ordinary
ray, extraordinary
(stays stationary) ray,
(rotates)
Conclusions from calcite experiment
• single light ray coming into cc is split into two rays
• ray is refracted - changes direction & speed
• rays have different velocities, hence different RIs
• stationary ray=ordinary, rotating ray=extraordinary
• because refraction of is so large, cc must have hi
remember:= nhi - nlo
If we were to look straight down c-axis, we would see
only one dot – no splitting!
birefringence
Thickness in microns
Retardation in nanometers
Back to birefringence/interference colors
Observation: frequency of
fast ray light remains unchanged
(low n)
during splitting, regardless of
material
mineral slow ray
d grain (high n)
F= V/
if light speed changes,
must also change
plane polarized
light
is related to color; if changes,
color changes
• waves from the two rays can be in
lower polarizer phase or out of phase upon leaving
the crystal
Interference phenomena
• When waves are in phase, all light gets killed
• When waves are out of phase, some component of light
gets through upper polarizer and the grain displays an
interference color; color depends on retardation
• When one of the vibration directions is parallel to the
lower polarizer, no
light gets through
the upper polarizer
and the grain is “at
extinction” (=black)
slowray: t =
d
Vslow
mineral slow ray
d grain (high n) d Δ
fast ray : t = +
Vfast Vair
d d Δ
thus : = +
Vslow Vfast Vair
plane polarized ⎛ V V ⎞
light Δ = d ⎜ air − air ⎟ = d ( nslow − nfast ) = dδ
⎝ Vslow Vfast ⎠
plag
ol plag
ol
Ifoleveryplag
grainof the same mineral
plag
looks different, how are weol
ever going
plag ol anything??
to be able to identify
ol
plag
Thought experiment:
Consider an isotropic mineral (e.g., garnet)
c-axis
calcite
quartz
n
n
n
n
c=Z
nε
nε
nω
a=X nω
a=X
b=Y b=Y
nε
nω
a=X n
b=Y
n
n - n = 0
therefore, =0: grain stays black
(same as the isotropic case)
Now propagate light perpendicular to c-axis
N
n - n > 0
therefore, > 0
nnn
W E
nn
n n
n
n
n
S
feldspar
clinopyroxene
nγ
nβ
nβ
nα
nβ
X The potato!
Y
nγ nγ
nα
nβ
nα nβ
c
Y c
olivine Z augite
(cpx)
b
b Y
a X
Z
a
X
… but there are a few generalizations that we can
make
The potato has 3 perpendicular principal axes of
different length – thus, we need 3 different RIs
to describe a biaxial mineral
X direction = n (lowest)
Y direction = n (intermed; radius of circ. section)
Z direction = n (highest)
Z
OA OA • When 2V is acute about Z: (+)
2Vz
• When 2V is acute about X: (-)
nγ • When 2V=90°, sign is indeterminate
• When 2V=0°, mineral is uniaxial
nα
X
nβ
Y
substage
condensor
or
uniaxial biaxial
If uniaxial, isogyres define If biaxial, isogyres define curve that
cross; arms remain N-S/E-W as rotates with stage, or cross that
stage is rotated breaks up as stage is rotated
Blue = (+)
Yellow = (-)
uniaxial (+)
(+)
biaxial
Determining optic sign with the gypsum plate - what happens?
Op
tio
blue in NE = (+) n al
s lid
e
There are lots of types of biaxial figures… we’ll concentrate on only two
2. Bxa figure (acute bisectrix) - obtained when you are looking straight
down between the two O.A.s. Hard to find, but look for a grain with
intermediate . OA
Z
OA
2Vz
nγ
nα
X
nβ
Y
hi
2Vz
nγ
nα
X
nβ
Y
Z
OA OA
lo
2Vz
nγ
nα
X
nβ
Y
2 cleavages
intersecting
at ~90°
pyroxene
120°
2 cleavages 60°
intersecting
at 60°/120°:
amphibole
Some new properties: Twinning
Presence and style of twinning can be diagnostic
Clinopyroxene (augite)
• Simple twin on {100}
Plagioclase
• Simple (Carlsbad) twin on (010)
• Polysynthetic albite twins on (010)
• Pericline twin on (h01)
Some new properties: Extinction angle
Extinction behavior is a function of the relationship
between indicatrix orientation and crystallographic
orientation
c
Z
c=Z
nε
nω
b
a=X
b=Y Y
a
X
parallel extinction inclined extinction
Extinction angle – parallel extinction
orthopyroxene
PPL XN
Extinction angle - inclined extinction
extinction
angle
clinopyroxene
Now do questions 3 and 4
Review – techniques for identifying unknown minerals
Start in PPL:
• Color/pleochroism
• Relief
• Cleavages
• Habit
Then go to XN:
• Birefringence
• Twinning
• Extinction angle
• Uniaxial or biaxial?
• 2V if biaxial
• Positive or negative?
Go to Nesse or similar book…
• Chemical formula
• Symmetry
• Uni or biaxial, (+) or (-)
• RIs: lengths of indicatrix axes
• Birefringence
• 2V if biaxial
Diagrams:
* Crystallographic axes
* Indicatrix axes
* Optic axes
* Cleavages
* Extinction angles
Another example
mistakes happen, even in books
Crystallographic axes: a, b, c
Indicatrix axes: X, Y, Z
Optic axes
Cleavages
Extinction angles