Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-rdxmf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T21:19:52.390Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Cathodoluminescence Colours of α-Quartz

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2018

K. Ramseyer
Affiliation:
Geologisches Institut, Baltzerstr. 1, Universität Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
J. Baumann
Affiliation:
Institut für anorganische und physikalische Chemie, Freiestr. 3, Universität Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
A. Matter
Affiliation:
Geologisches Institut, Baltzerstr. 1, Universität Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland
J. Mullis
Affiliation:
Mineralogisch Petrographisches Institut Bernoullistrasse 30, Universität Basel, 4056 Basel, Switzerland

Abstract

A new cathodoluminescence-microscope has been developed with a considerably improved detection limit. Time-dependent luminescence intensity changes observed during electron bombardment enabled the recognition of short-lived, long-lived, and brown luminescence colour types in α-quartz.

Short-lived bottle-green or blue luminescence colours with zones of non-luminescing bands are very common in authigenic quartz overgrowths, fracture fillings or idiomorphic vein crystals. Dark brown, short-lived yellow or pink colours are often found in quartz replacing sulphate minerals. Quartz from tectonically active regions commonly exhibits a brown luminescence colour. A red luminescence colour is typical for quartz crystallized close to a volcanic dyke or sill.

The causes of these different and previously poorly understood luminescence colours were investigated using heat treatment, electron bombardment and electrodiffusion. Both natural and induced brown luminescence colours reflect the presence of lattice defects (nonbonding Si-O) due to twinning, mechanical deformation, particle bombardment or extremely rapid growth. The bottle-green and blue linearly polarized luminescence colour, characterized by a plane of polarization parallel to the c-axis, both depend on the presence of interstitial cations. The yellow and red luminescence colours in α-quartz both exhibit a plane of polarization perpendicular to the c-axis and appear to be related to the presence of trace elements in an oxidizing solution and to ferric iron respectively.

Type
Mineralogy
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1988

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Brunner, G.O., Wondratscheck, H., and Laves, F. (1961) Z. Elektrochem. 65, 735-50.Google Scholar
Claffy, E.W. and Ginther, R.J. (1959) J. Opt. Soc. Am. 49, 412-13.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dietrich, D. and Grant, P.R. (1985) J. Struct. Geol. 7, 541-53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gee, C.M. and Kastner, M. (1980) J. Non-Cryst. Solids, 40, 577-86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goldstein, E. (1907) Ber. Deutsch. Phys. Ges. 598605.Google Scholar
Hanusiak, W.M. and White, E.W. (1975) Scanning Electron Microscopy, 125-32.Google Scholar
Jones, C.E. and Embree, D. (1976) J. Appl. Phys. 47, 5365-71.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Koyama, H., Matsubara, K., and Mouri, M. (1977) Ibid. 48, 538-01.Google Scholar
Marquardt, D.W. (1963) J. Soe. Ind. and Appl. Math. 11,431-41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Matter, A. and Ramseyer, K. (1985) In Zuffa, G.G., ed., NATO ASI Series, Boston, Reidel Publishing Company, 148, 191-21..Google Scholar
Mitchell, J.P. and Denure, D.G. (1973) Solid-State Electronics, 16, 825-39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mullis, J. (1982) Schweiz. Strahler, 6, 155-66.Google Scholar
Pott, G.T. and McNicol, B.D. (1971) Disc. Faraday Soe. 52, 121-31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ramseyer, K. (1983) Ph.D. thesis Univ. Berne.Google Scholar
Ramseyer, K. and Mullis, J. (in prep.).Google Scholar
Ramseyer, K. Fischer, J., Matter, A., Eberhardt, P., and Geiss, J. (in prep.).Google Scholar
Remond, G., Le Gressus, C., and Okuzumi, H. (1979) Scanning Electron Microscopy, 237-44.Google Scholar
Siegel, G.H., and Marrone, M.J. (1981) J. Non- Cryst. Solids, 45, 235-47.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sippel, R.F. (1965) Rev. Sci. Instrum. 36, 155-68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sippel, R.F. (1971) Proc. 2nd Lunar Conf. 1, 247-63.Google Scholar
Smith, J.V. and Stenstrom, R.C. (1965) J. Geol. 73, 627-35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sprunt, E.S. (1981) Scanning Electron Microscopy, 525 35.Google Scholar
Sprunt, E.S. Dengler, L.A., and Sloan, D. (1978) Geology, 6, 305-8.2.0.CO;2>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Trukhin, A.N. and Plaudis, A.E. (1979) Sov. Phys. Solid State, 21, 644-6.Google Scholar
Zinkernagel, U. (1978) Contrib. Sedimentol. 8, 69 pp.Google Scholar