Isotropic Minerals

Easily identified
Always extinct with upper polarizer inserted
Vibration direction not changed by material
All light blocked by upper polarizer
Remember isotropic = isometric =
highest symmetry
Anisotropic usually (but not always)
light with color
 Measuring n important diagnostic
tool
Not completely diagnostic, may vary
within minerals
More than one mineral may have same
n
n cant be measured in thin section, but
can be estimated
P. 306 olivine information
 Can use other optical properties for
ID e.g. texture
Color may be variable
Cleavage (may not see, often controls
shape)
Shape (depends on cut of mineral)
Refraction experiment
 Anisotropic Minerals
Variable values of n within mineral
Has property of double refraction
Light entering material usually split into
two rays
One follows wave normal other is ray path
Depends on direction light passes
through material
Two rays vibrate at 90 to each other
 Value of n is determined by vibration
direction
In one direction, the value of n is larger
than the other
Direction with large n is slow ray
Direction with small n is fast ray
Two ray vibrate at 90 to each other
 Optic axis
Special direction where rays not split
into two rays
Hexagonal and teragonal have one optic
axis
Uniaxial
Orthorhombic, monoclinic, and triclinic have
two optic axes
Biaxial
Wave normal and ray path coincide
 Interference Phenomena
In most cases, light passes through
the analyzer
Specific color is interference color
Caused by two rays resolving to one
when they leave the mineral
 Interference with
monochromatic light
Monochromatic = one wavelength
Light split into fast and slow ray
Fast ray travels farther than slow ray in
same time
Difference in the distances called
retardation,
Retardation remains same after two rays
leave mineral (air is isotropic)
 =
retardation

Distance for
slow ray
Distance for
fast ray
d = thickness
(distance)

Fig. 7-14
 Retardation and
Birefringence
Derive definition of retardation
 Retardation controlled by two things:
Thickness of mineral, d
Difference in speed of fast and slow ray

(ns nf) must be positive number
Units have to be length, typically
reported as nm
 Birefringence
Birefringence is the difference
between ns and nf

= (ns nf)
Origin of interference colors
If retardation is an integer number of
wavelengths:
Components resolve into vibration
direction same as original direction
All light is blocked by analyzer
Original polarized direction

=1

Priviledged
direction of
analyzer

All light blocked

Fig. 7-15a
 If retardation is half integer of
wavelength
Components resolve into vibration
direction 90 to original
Light passes through analyzer
 Fig. 7-15b
Original polarized direction

Priviledged direction of ana

= 1/2
All light passes
 Fig. 7-4 bloss
A more
realistic
depiction

1 1
 Interference colors result from
resolution of fast and slow rays at
analyzer
Colors depend on
Magnitude of retardation
Phase of fast and slow ray
 Interference with
polychromatic light
All are present
Retardation
Depends only on ns and nf (d constant) = ns-nf
About the same for all (except dispersion)
controls which passes analyzer: i.e. some
wavelengths blocked, others pass color.
= , blocked
= 1/2, passes
Color determined by which passes analyzer
 Sometimes only one passes
through analyzer, see only one color
Sometimes multiple pass through
analyzer, see white
For standard
thin section:
Quartz: = 250 nm
1st order white

Kyanite: = 500 nm;

1st order red

Calcite: = 2500 nm;

4th order white; cream

Fig. 7-17
 Color chart
Shows range of interference,
depends on retardation
Divided into orders
Orders are in multiples of 550 nm
Successively higher orders are
increasingly washed out
Above 4th order, color becomes creamy
white
 Color chart
Primary use is to determine retardation
Simply read the retardation off the bottom
of the chart
Retardation controlled by mineral
thickness and birefringence
By observing color, can determine
amount of
By knowing thickness, can determine
value of
 Determining thickness of thin
section
Use quartz (or other easily
identifiable, common mineral
Maximum is 0.009
Actual birefringence depends on
orientation of grain
 Maximum birefringence when c axis
is parallel to stage
Birefringence = 0 when c axis is
perpendicular to stage
Intermediate birefringence for
intermediate orientation
 Procedure
1. Find quartz with highest birefringence
2. Find where the retardation (given by
color), intersects lines for birefringence
3. Calculate it from formula for
birefringence:
/d
Or read off thickness from chart
Fig.7-18
 Typical slide thickness is 30 m (0.03
mm)
Quartz will be first order white to yellow
Thin sections may not be perfect
Variable thicknesses
Thin on edges
Thick sections 70 m
Used for inclusions
Freeze/thaw of fluid inclusions
 Determining birefringence
Maximum is a useful diagnostic value
Easily determined in thin section with
known thickness
Distribution of birefringence:
Some with zero
Some with maximum
Most with intermediate
1. Find grain with highest interference
colors
2. Find retardation on the basis of the
color (bottom of chart)
3. Calculate the birefringence using
equation
/d
Or find maximum birefringence from chart
Fig. 7-18b
 Extinction
Many grains in a thin section go dark
(extinct) every 90 of rotation
Cause for extinction is orientation of
vibration directions
Occurs when principle vibration
directions are parallel to vibration
directions of upper and lower polarizers
Light retains original polarized direction
Light blocked by analyzer
Extinct Birefringent

Fig 7-19
 When mineral vibration direction not
parallel to polarized direction of light
Light resolved into the two rays
When light rays exit mineral, they
interfere
Interference creates a specific
wavelength give characteristic
interference color
 Importance of extinction
Allows determination of principle
vibration directions
When extinct, the orientation of the
principle vibration directions are N-S and
E-W
 Accessory Plates
Primary functions:
Determine optic sign
Determine sign of elongation
 Construction:
Usually gypsum - full wave plate, = 550 nm
Common mica - wave plate, = 150 nm
Retardation is known
Orientation of principle vibration directions is
known, set at 45 to polarizer and analyzer
Fast ray is length of holder, slow ray is
perpendicular to holder
 Interference of accessory plate either
adds or subtracts from retardation of
mineral
With slow ray of mineral parallel slow ray
of accessory plate retardation increases
With slow ray of mineral parallel fast ray
of accessory plate retardation
decreases
 Net result:
Accessory plate tells you orientation of
fast and slow direction in mineral
Important for many optical observations
 mineral

total

mineral

total Fig. 7-
20
 Procedure to determine fast
and slow
1. Rotate grain to extinction either
fast or slow ray parallel to polarized
light direction
2. Rotate stage 45
3. Note interference color
4. Insert accessory plate
5. Observe if color increases or
decreases (right or left on chart)
 Interference plate will also determine
order of interference color
Rotate grain with gypsum plate
inserted
Color will alternately go up or down
one order

Fig. 7-21