Optical Mineralogy Technique utilizing interaction of polarized light with minerals Uses a polarizing microscope Oils - Grain mounts Thin sections – rocks Primary way to observe minerals Important: cheap, quick, easy Only way to determine textures

Why use microscopes? Visual properties for ID – e.g. texture Color – may be variable Cleavage (may not see, often controls shape) Shape (depends on cut of mineral) Only observable with microscope Separate isotropic and anisotropic minerals and many other optical properties

Polarizing Microscope Ocular Bertrand lens Analyzer, upper polarizer, nicols lens Accessory Slot Objective Polarizer, typically oriented N-S

Slightly more modern version Trinocular head Reflected light source Analyzer, upper polarizer, nicols lens Accessory plate Objectives Vernier scale conoscope Internal light source, polarized

Four common settings for microscopic observations of thin sections: Plane polarized light, analyzer (upper polarizer, nicols lens) out Plane polarized light, analyzer in (cross nicols) Conoscopic polarized light, bertrand lens in Conoscopic polarized light, bertrand lens in, gypsum plate in accessory slot

Quartz crystals in plane polarized light Setting #1: No upper analyzer Setting #2: Upper analyzer inserted Quartz crystals in plane polarized light Same quartz crystals with analyzer inserted (cross polarizers aka crossed nicols)

Setting # 3: Conoscopic polarized light, bertrand lens in, highest magnification Setting #4: Conoscopic polarized light, bertrand lens in, gypsum plate in accessory slot, highest magnification

Characteristics of light Electromagnetic energy derived from excess energy of electrons Energy released as electrons drop from excited state to lower energy shells – perceived as “light” Particle, Wave or both Particles = photons For mineralogy, consider light a wave Important wave interference phenomenon

Light has both electrical and magnetic energy Light as wave Energy vibrates perpendicular to direction of propagation Light has both electrical and magnetic energy Two components vibrate perpendicular to each other Electrical component interacts with electrical properties of minerals, e.g. bond strength, electron densities

Electric vibration direction Magnetic vibration direction For mineralogy – we’ll only consider the electrical component Fig. 7-2

Properties of light Wavelength Amplitude Velocity

Relationship and units of properties l = wavelength, unit = L, color of light A = amplitude, unit = L, intensity of light v = velocity, unit = L/t, property of material f = frequency – e.g. how often a wave passes a particular point, unit = 1/t f = v/l, frequency is constant, v and l variable

Visable light spectrum Full range of electromagnetic radiation l (nm) f (hertz) 1 Å Visable light spectrum 100 Å Full range of electromagnetic radiation 1 nm = 10-9 m Fig. 6-6

If two light waves vibrate at an angle to each other: Vibrations interfere with each other Interference creates a new wave Direction determined by vector addition Vibration directions of single wave can be split into various components Each component has different vibration direction

Two light waves A & B interfere to form resultant wave R Note – two waves have the same v and l Electrical components only Two light waves A & B interfere to form resultant wave R One light wave X has a component V at an angle  Fig. 7-3

Light composed of many waves Wave front = connects same point on adjacent waves Wave normal = line perpendicular to wave front Light ray (Ray path) = direction of propagation of light energy, e.g. direction of path of photon Note: wave normal and light ray are not necessarily parallel

Wave normal and ray path not always parallel Wave front connects common points of multiple waves It is the direction the wave moves Ray path is direction of movement of energy, e.g., path a photon would take Fig. 7-2c

Wave normal and ray paths may be coincident Propogation of light through Isotropic material Wave normal and ray paths may not be coincident Propogation of light through Anisotropic material Fig. 7-2d and e

Anisotropic materials Wave normals and ray paths are parallel Velocity of light is constant regardless of direction in these minerals Anisotropic materials Wave normals and ray paths are not parallel Velocity of light is variable depending on direction of wave normal and ray path These difference have major consequences for interaction of light and materials

Birefringence demonstration?????????

Polarized and Non-polarized Light Vibrates in all directions perpendicular to direction of propagation Occurs only in isotropic materials Air, water, glass, etc. Fig. 7-4

Non-Polarized Light Light vibrates in all directions perpendicular to ray path Multiple rays, vibrate in all directions Highly idealized – only 1 wavelength Fig. 7-4

Polarized light Vibrates in only one plane Generation of polarized light: In anisotropic material, light usually resolves into two rays Two rays vibrate perpendicular to each other The energy of each ray absorbed by different amounts If all of one ray absorbed, light emerges vibrating in only one direction Called “Plane Polarized Light”

Polarized light vibrates in only one plane: “Plane-polarized light” Anisotropic medium: light split into two rays. One fully absorbed Fig. 7-4b

Polarization also caused by reflection: “Glare” Raybans cut the glare

Interaction of light and matter Velocity of light depends on material it passes through In vacuum, v = 3.0 x 1017 nm/sec = 3.0 x 108 m/sec All other materials, v < 3.0 x 1017 nm/sec

f = v/l When light passes from one material to another f = constant If v increases, l also must increase If v decreases, l decreases Vair > Vmineral f = v/l

Isotropic vs. Anisotropic Isotropic geologic materials Isometric minerals; also glass, liquids and gases Electron density identical in all directions Think back to crystallographic axes Direction doesn’t affect the electrical property of light Light speed doesn’t vary with direction Light NOT split into two rays

Anisotropic geologic materials: Minerals in tetragonal, hexagonal, orthorhombic, monoclinic and triclinic systems Interactions between light and electrons differ depending on direction Light split into two rays – vibrate perpendicular to each other Light speed depends on direction of ray and thus vibration direction

Reflection and Refraction Light hitting boundary of transparent material Some reflected Some refracted Reflected light Angle of incidence = angle of reflection Amount controls luster

Angle of incidence, i = angle of reflection, r For reflection: Angle of incidence, i = angle of reflection, r Light ray “reflective” boundary Fig. 7-6a

Refracted light Angle of incidence ≠ angle of refraction Angle of refraction depends on specific property, Index of refraction, n n = Vv/Vm Vv = velocity in a vacuum (maximum) Vm = velocity in material Note – n is always > 1 Big N means slow v Little n means fast v

Angle of refraction given by Snell’s law Wave normal n=low, fast v N=big, slow v

Snell’s law works for isotropic and anisotropic material if:  are angles between normals to boundary Direction is wave normal, not ray path

Measuring n important diagnostic tool Not completely diagnostic, may vary within minerals More than one mineral may have same n n can’t be measured in thin section, but can be estimated

P. 306 – olivine information } Optical properties Indices of refraction {

Critical Angle - CA A special case of Snell’s law Light going from low to high index material (fast to slow, e.g. air to mineral) Can always be refracted Angle of refraction is smaller than angle of incidence

Light going from high to low index material May not always be refracted Light is refracted toward the high n material At some critical angle of incidence, the light will travel along the interface If angle of incidence is > CA, then total internal reflection CA can be derived from Snell’s law

Critical angle is when angle of refraction = 90º All internal reflection N = high High index to low index material: light cannot pass through boundary if angle of incidence > CA Critical angle is when angle of refraction = 90º n = low Fig. 7-7

Dispersion Material not always constant index of refraction n = f(l) Normal dispersion, within same material: n higher for short wavelengths (blue) n lower for long wavelengths (red)

Fig. 7-8

Because of dispersion, important to determine n for particular wavelength Typically n given for l = 486, 589, and 656 nm Common wavelengths for sunlight