Optical Mineralogy

Optical Indicatrix
and Interference Figures
Optical Indicatrix and Interference Figures:

LAB TS-3:
Uniaxial minerals
Interference figures
Optic sign
Pleochroic scheme

LAB TS-4:
Biaxial minerals
Interference figures
Optic sign
Pleochroic scheme
Optical Indicatrix and Interference Figures:

1. Optical Indicatrix

2. Uniaxial Interference Figures

3. Biaxial Interference Figures

 Polarisation in the petrographic microscope

upper polarising filter (analyser) what happens

sensitive tint plate here???
LAB TS-2
what happens mineral sample (thin section)
here???
conoscopic light what happens here???
LAB TS-1 LAB TS-3,4
condenser lens
plane polarised light (PPL)
lower polarising filter (polariser)

unpolarised light

light source
 Optical Indicatrix
Nesse, Ch. 7, p. 130-136
1. What is it?
a geometric figure that shows the index of refraction
and vibration direction for light passing in any direction
through a material
nmax
in 2D: nmin = nmax (slow)
circle:
nmin isotropic nmin nmin < nmax
(fast) ellipse:
anisotropic
nmax
constructed as a sphere or ellipsoid with radii parallel to the principal
vibration directions and lengths of axes proportional to refractive index
 Optical Indicatrix

constructed as a sphere or ellipsoid with radii parallel to the principal

vibration directions and lengths of axes proportional to refractive index

nmax
in 2D: nmin = nmax (slow)
circle:
nmin isotropic nmin nmin < nmax
(fast) ellipse:
anisotropic
nmax

in 3D:
indicatrix for isotropic mineral is a sphere (of no further interest)
indicatrix for anisotropic mineral is an ellipsoid
2 cases: uniaxial and biaxial
 Optical Indicatrix
in 3D: indicatrix for anisotropic mineral is an ellipsoid

Z random
principal
sections section

wave normal: ray paths:

X<Y<Z propagation direction tangent to indicatrix
(nfast < nint < nslow) (incident PPL)
Nesse, 2000; Fig. 7.22
Wave fronts

ray paths
not necessarily
// wave normal

Nesse, 2000; Fig. 7.2 d, e

Case 1: Uniaxial minerals (hexagonal, tetragonal: a1 = a2 = c)
principal axes: ne // c nw // a
e: “extraordinary” ray w: “ordinary” ray

X=Y<Z X<Y=Z

Nesse, 2000; Fig. 7.23

Case 1: Uniaxial minerals (hexagonal, tetragonal: a1 = a2 = c)
principal axes: ne // c nw // a
e: “extraordinary” ray w: “ordinary” ray

X=Y<Z X<Y=Z

Nesse, 2004; Fig. 6.4

X-Y plane: circular section

(all planes perpendicular to Z)
Z = optic axis (c-axis = slow)
ne > nw +ve
Case 1: Uniaxial minerals (hexagonal, tetragonal: a1 = a2 = c)
principal axes: ne // c nw // a
e: “extraordinary” ray w: “ordinary” ray

X=Y<Z X<Y=Z

Nesse, 2004; Fig. 6.4

X-Y plane: circular section Y-Z plane: circular section

(all planes perpendicular to Z) (all planes perpendicular to X)
Z = optic axis (c-axis = slow) X = optic axis (c-axis = fast)
ne > nw +ve ne < nw -ve
 Case 1: Uniaxial minerals (hexagonal, tetragonal: a1 = a2 = c)
principal axes: ne // c nw // a
e: “extraordinary” ray w: “ordinary” ray

optic axis // plane of section

plane of section contains
both nw and ne :
maximum d
Nesse, 2000;4 Fig. 6.7
 Case 1: Uniaxial minerals (hexagonal, tetragonal: a1 = a2 = c)
principal axes: ne // c nw // a
e: “extraordinary” ray w: “ordinary” ray

optic axis // plane of section

plane of section contains
both nw and ne : optic axis I plane of section
maximum d plane of section contains
only nw :
Nesse, 2004; Fig. 6.7
minimum d (extinct!)
 Case 1: Uniaxial minerals (hexagonal, tetragonal: a1 = a2 = c)
principal axes: ne // c nw // a
e: “extraordinary” ray w: “ordinary” ray

optic axis // plane of section random section:

plane of section contains contains nw and
both nw and ne : optic axis I plane of section ne’ < ne
maximum d plane of section contains intermediate d
only nw :
Nesse, 2004; Fig. 6.7
minimum d (extinct!)
 Optical Indicatrix and Symmetry

isometric system: a1 = a2 = a3; all angles = 90o

indicatrix is a sphere; minerals extinct in XN

hexagonal, trigonal, tetragonal systems: a1 = a2 (= a3) = c

all angles either 90o or 120o
uniaxial: indicatrix is ellipsoid; X < Y < Z
c-axis = optic axis = e (either X or Z)
parallel extinction
 Case 2: Biaxial minerals (orthorhombic, monoclinic, triclinic
systems: a < b < c)
indicatrix is ellipsoid with axes X < Y < Z
na // X, nb // Y, ng // Z

Z
2V only 2 circular
sections possible

X
2 optic axes (OA)
Y normal to the
circular sections
acute angle
between OA = 2V
 Case 2: Biaxial indicatrix
ellipsoid with axes X < Y < Z
na // X, nb // Y, ng // Z

2 optic axes (OA) normal to

the 2 circular sections
2V acute angle between OA = 2V
line bisecting 2V = Bxa
“acute bisectrix”
2V

where Bxa // Z: +ve

where Bxa // X: -ve
Nesse, 2004; Fig. 7.1
 random section:
Case 2: Biaxial indicatrix oblique to both X-Z
ellipsoid with axes X < Y < Z and circular sections:
intermediate d
na // X, nb // Y, ng // Z

X-Z plane // plane of section

plane of section contains Nesse, 2004; Fig. 7.6,
7.7 & 7.8
both na and ng : circular section // plane of section
maximum d plane of section I one OA:
minimum d (extinct!)
 Optic Sign

Case 1: Uniaxial minerals:

Case 2: Biaxial minerals:
Z = optic axis (c-axis = slow)
ne > nw +ve + ve where Bxa // Z

X = optic axis (c-axis = fast) -ve where Bxa // X

ne < nw -ve
Z Z
c = OA = Z

c = OA = X
X +ve -ve X
a +ve
a -ve
 Optic Sign
how do we figure this out???

Case 1: Uniaxial minerals:

Case 2: Biaxial minerals:
Z = optic axis (c-axis = slow)
ne > nw +ve + ve where Bxa // Z

X = optic axis (c-axis = fast) -ve where Bxa // X

ne < nw -ve
Z Z
c = OA = Z

c = OA = X
X +ve -ve X
a +ve
a -ve
 Optic Sign
how do we figure this out???

Requires:
conoscopic light (condenser lens in place)
interference figures (viewed with Bertrand lens)
use of STP to determine fast and slow directions

Nesse, Ch. 6, p. 65 -72 (uniaxial)

p. 84 - 100 (biaxial)
 Extinction Angles

inclined
parallel
(most biaxial)
(uniaxial,
some biaxial)

symmetrical can’t tell:

(some uniaxial, no prominent
some biaxial) reference
direction
(uniaxial or
biaxial)

Nesse, 2000; Fig. 7.32

 Extinction Angles

where optic axis is normal to plane of thin section

mineral will appear extinct for full stage rotation!

applies to both uniaxial and biaxial minerals

how distinguished from isotropic minerals?

 Extinction Angles

where optic axis is normal to plane of thin section

mineral will appear extinct for full stage rotation!

applies to both uniaxial and biaxial minerals

how distinguished from isotropic minerals?

(also requires interference figures: stay tuned.....)

 Optical Indicatrix and Symmetry

isometric system: a1 = a2 = a3; all angles = 90o

indicatrix is a sphere; minerals extinct in XN

hexagonal, trigonal, tetragonal systems: a1 = a2 (= a3) = c

all angles either 90o or 120o
uniaxial: indicatrix is ellipsoid; X < Y < Z
c-axis = optic axis = e (either X or Z)
parallel extinction

orthorhombic system: a = b = c; all angles = 90o

biaxial: indicatrix is ellipsoid; X < Y < Z
X, Y, Z // crystallographic axes
2 circular sections I 2 optic axes
parallel extinction
 Optical Indicatrix and Symmetry
orthorhombic system: a = b = c; all angles = 90o
biaxial: indicatrix is ellipsoid; X < Y < Z
X, Y, Z  crystallographic axes
2 circular sections I 2 optic axes
parallel extinction
monoclinic system: a = b = c; a = g = 90o; b = 90o
biaxial: indicatrix is ellipsoid; X < Y < Z
one of X, Y, Z  one crystallographic axis
inclined extinction
triclinic system: a = b = c; a = b = g = 90o
biaxial: indicatrix is ellipsoid; X < Y < Z
no correspondence X, Y, Z  cryst. axes
inclined extinction
 Optic Sign: Summary
Case 1: Uniaxial minerals:
Case 2: Biaxial minerals:
Z = optic axis (c-axis = slow)
ne > nw +ve + ve where Bxa // Z

X = optic axis (c-axis = fast) -ve where Bxa // X

ne < nw -ve
Z Z
c = OA = Z

c = OA = X
X +ve Bxa -ve X
a +ve
a -ve

Bxa
determined from OA figure determined from Bxa or OA figure