Atlas of Optical Crystallography

Interference figures, part III: dispersion and symmetry

Olaf Medenbach
Institut für Geologie, Mineralogie und Geophysik
Ruhr-Universität Bochum
44780 Bochum, Germany
olaf.medenbach@rub.de

Olaf Medenbach, Ruhr-Universität Bochum

© by Olaf Medenbach
 Find the Symmetry:
symmetry of the interference figure: 2/m 2/m 2/m
no distinctive dispersion, crystal orthorhombic, monoclinic or triclinic
m

mirror planes
2-fold axes
Olaf Medenbach, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
 Find the Symmetry:
symmetry of the interference figure: 2/m 2/m 2/m ,
orthorhombic crystal, strong dispersion of 2V, r>>v, cerussite, PbCO3
m

mirror planes
2-fold axes
Olaf Medenbach, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
 Dispersion of 2V
Why are color effects in the 45° position reverse of the true axial dispersion?

Melatopes (optic axes) for blue and red light

Melatopes and isogyres for blue light(points
red light (pointsofofzero
zeroretardation
retardationand
andextinction,
extinction,
respectively, for blue light),remaining
red light), remainingwavelengths
wavelengthscombine
combinetotoblue
red

Olaf Medenbach, Ruhr-Universität Bochum

 Find the Symmetry:
symmetry of the interference figure: 2/m 2/m 2/m
orthorhombic crystal, crossed axial planes, brookite, TiO2
m

mirror planes
2-fold axes
Olaf Medenbach, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
 Dispersion of the Indicatrix in Orthorhombic Crystals
crossed axial planes for blue and red light
optic plane for blue light: (010)
uniaxial for green light
optic plane for red light: (001)

Brookite, TiO2

Olaf Medenbach, Ruhr-Universität Bochum

 Brookite
crossed axial planes for blue and red light
The animation starts a few seconds after the next click.

Olaf Medenbach, Ruhr-Universität Bochum

 Brookite
crossed axial planes for blue and red light

(001)

(010) 420 nm
440
460
480
500
520
540
560
580
600
620
640
660
680
Olaf Medenbach, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
 Brookite
crossed axial planes for blue and red light

10)
(0

(0
01
)
420 nm
440
460
480
500
520
540
560
580
600
620
640
660
680
Olaf Medenbach, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
 Find the Symmetry:
symmetry of the interference figure: 2/m
monoclinic crystal, extreme inclined dispersion

mirror plane
2-fold axis
Olaf Medenbach, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
 Dispersion of the Indicatrix in Monoclinic Crystals
ny= b, optic plane  (010), extreme inclined dispersion, 2Vv>>2Vr
uniaxial for red light
intermediate axial angle for green light
large axial angle for blue light

MgPt(CN)4 • 5H2O • C3H8O3, synthetic

Olaf Medenbach, Ruhr-Universität Bochum

 monoclinic
extreme inclined dispersion
The animation starts a few seconds after the next click.

Olaf Medenbach, Ruhr-Universität Bochum

 monoclinic
extreme inclined dispersion

0 )
1
(0

b
420 nm
440
460
480
500
520
540
560
580
600
620

Olaf Medenbach, Ruhr-Universität Bochum

 Find the Symmetry:
symmetry of the interference figure: 2/m
monoclinic crystal, extreme horizontal dispersion

mirror plane
2-fold axis
Olaf Medenbach, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
 Dispersion of the Indicatrix in Monoclinic Crystals
obtuse bisectix ‫ ׀׀‬b, optic planes  (010), extreme horizontal dispersion
axial plane for blue light
axial plane for green light
axial plane for red light

SrPt(CN)4 • 3H2O, synthetic

Olaf Medenbach, Ruhr-Universität Bochum

 Find the Symmetry:
symmetry of the interference figure: 2/m
monoclinic crystal, extreme crossed dispersion
m

mirror plane
2-fold axis
Olaf Medenbach, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
 Dispersion of the Indicatrix in Monoclinic Crystals
acute bisectix ‫ ׀׀‬b, optic planes  (010), extreme crossed dispersion
axial plane for blue light
axial plane for green light
axial plane for red light

n-propylamine picrate, synthetic

Olaf Medenbach, Ruhr-Universität Bochum

 Find the Symmetry:
no symmetry in the interference figure
triclinic crystal

Olaf Medenbach, Ruhr-Universität Bochum

 Dispersion of the Indicatrix in Triclinic Crystals
no symmetry elements present
axial plane for bluegreen light
axial plane for green light
axial plane for red light

Diisopropylamine picrate, synthetic

Olaf Medenbach, Ruhr-Universität Bochum

 Find the Symmetry:
symmetry of the interference figure: 2/m
crystal's symmetry: monoclinic

diagnostic color effects mirror plane

2-fold axis
Olaf Medenbach, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
 Find the Symmetry:
symmetry of the interference figure: 2/m
crystal's symmetry: monoclinic
crossed dispersion, borax, Na2[B4O5(OH)4] • 8H2O
m

diagnostic color effects mirror plane

2-fold axis
Olaf Medenbach, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
 Find the Symmetry:
symmetry of the interference figure: 2/m
crystal's symmetry: monoclinic
crossed dispersion, heulandite, Ca[Al2Si7O18] • 6H2O
m

diagnostic color effects mirror plane

2-fold axis
Olaf Medenbach, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
 Find the Symmetry:
symmetry of the interference figure: 2/m
crystal's symmetry: monoclinic
inclined dispersion, high sanidine, K[AlSi3O8]

diagnostic color effects mirror plane

2-fold axis
Olaf Medenbach, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
 Find the Symmetry:
symmetry of the interference figure: 2/m
crystal's symmetry: monoclinic
inclined dispersion

mirror plane
2-fold axis
Olaf Medenbach, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
 Find the Symmetry:
symmetry of the interference figure: 2/m
crystal's symmetry: monoclinic
horizontal dispersion, low sanidine, K[AlSi3O8]

diagnostic color effects mirror plane

2-fold axis
Olaf Medenbach, Ruhr-Universität Bochum
 microcline: horizontal dispersion

Optical behaviour of K-feldspar as a

function of the degree of Si-Al order

(010)
)
10
(0

medium degree of order:

pseudo-uniaxial
(010)

)
10
(0

Nesse (2001) after Steward & Ribbe (1983).

Feldspar mineralogy, Rev. Mineral., MSA
high sanidine: inclined dispersion

Nesse (2001) after Su et al. (1984).

Am. Mineral. 69, 440-448
Olaf Medenbach, Ruhr-Universität Bochum