Plane-polarized Light Research Articles

Plasmochemical Synthesis of Optically Active Substances

This work is devoted to the study of optical activity (rotation of the polarization plane of light by matter) of organic synthesis in a plasma–liquid system with a rotating gliding discharge submerged in a liquid. The initial reagents of synthesis were ethanol, ammonia, and CO2. The possibility of plasma–chemical synthesis of an optically active substance when all the starting reagents are not active in the synthesis is shown.

Celleriite, ☐(Mn22+Al)Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH), a new mineral species of the tourmaline supergroup

Abstract Celleriite, ☐(Mn22+Al)Al6(Si6O18)(BO3)3(OH)3(OH), is a new mineral of the tourmaline supergroup. It was discovered in the Rosina pegmatite, San Piero in Campo, Elba Island, Italy (holotype specimen), and in the Pikárec pegmatite, western Moravia, Czech Republic (co-type specimen). Celleriite in hand specimen is violet to gray-blue (holotype) and dark brownish-green (co-type) with a vitreous luster, conchoidal fracture, and white streak. Celleriite has a Mohs hardness of ~7 and a calculated density of 3.13 and 3.14 g/cm3 for holotype and its co-type, respectively. In plane-polarized light in thin section, celleriite is pleochroic (O = pale violet and E = light gray-blue in holotype; O = pale green and E = colorless in co-type) and uniaxial negative. Celleriite has trigonal symmetry: space group R3m, Z = 3, a = 15.9518(4) and 15.9332(3) Å, c = 7.1579(2) and 7.13086(15) Å, V = 1577.38(9) and 1567.76(6) Å3 for holotype and co-type, respectively (data from single-crystal X-ray diffraction). The crystal structure of the holotype specimen was refined to R1 = 2.89% using 1696 unique reflections collected with MoKα X-ray intensity data. Structural, chemical, and spectroscopic analyses resulted in the formulas: x ( ◻ 0.58 N a 0.42 ) Σ 1.00 Y ( M n 1.39 2 + F e 0.16 2 + M g 0.01 A l 1.14 F e 0.01 3 + L i 0.28 T i 0.01 ) Σ 3.00 Z A l 6 [ T ( S i 5.99 A l 0.01 ) Σ 6.00 O 18 ] ( B O 3 ) 3 ( O H ) 3 w [ ( O H ) 0.65 F 0.03 O 0.32 ] Σ 1.00 ( for holotype ) and x ( ◻ 0.51 N a 0.49 ) Σ 1.00 Y ( M n 0.90 2 + F e 0.50 2 + A l 1.36 F e 0.04 3 + L i 0.17 Zn 0.04 ) Σ 3.00 Z A l 6 [ T ( S i 5.75 B 0.25 ) Σ 6.00 O 18 ] ( B O 3 ) 3 ( O H ) 3 w [ ( O H ) 0.35 F 0.17 O 0.48 ] Σ 1.00 ( for co-type ) Celleriite is a hydroxy species belonging to the X-site vacant group of the tourmaline supergroup. The new mineral was approved by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association, proposal no. 2019-089. In the Rosina pegmatite, celleriite formed an overgrowth at the analogous pole of elbaite–fluorelbaite–rossmanite crystals during the latest stage of evolution of pegmatite cavities after an event of a pocket rupture. In the Pikárec pegmatite, celleriite occurs as an intermediate growth sector of elbaite, princivalleite, and fluor-elbaite.

Panskyite, Pd9Ag2Pb2S4, a new platinum group mineral from the Southern Kievey ore occurrence of the Fedorova–Pana layered intrusion, Kola Peninsula, Russia

AbstractPanskyite, Pd9Ag2Pb2S4, is a new mineral (IMA2020–039) discovered in the platinum-group element mineralisation of the Southern Kievey ore occurrence of the Fedorova–Pana layered intrusion, Kola Peninsula, Russia. It forms tiny anhedral grains (of 0.5 to 10 μm in size) in the interstices of rock-forming silicates, often forming tiny inclusions in base-metal sulfides (millerite, chalcopyrite, bornite and chalcocite) and complex intergrowths with other platinum group minerals (zvyagintsevite, laflammeite, vysotskite, thalhammerite, unnamed phase Pd9Ag2(Tl,Pb)2S4and others). In plane-polarised light, panskyite is creamy white with weak bireflectance, weak pleochroism and distinct anisotropy with brown to grey rotation tints; it exhibits no internal reflections. Reflectance values for panskyite in air (R1,R2in %) are: 43.8, 44.1 at 470 nm; 44.4, 44.7 at 546 nm; 45.6, 45.8 at 589 nm; and 47.2, 47.2 at 650 nm. Twelve electron-microprobe analyses of panskyite gave an average composition: Pd 55.61, Ag 12.36, Pb 23.50, Fe 0.21, Ni 0.24 and S 7.17 total 99.09 wt.%, corresponding to the formula (Pd9.05Fe0.07Ni0.07)Σ9.19Ag1.98Pb1.96S3.87based on 17 atoms; the average of nine analyses on the synthetic analogue is: Pd 57.02, Ag 14.17, Pb 21.81 and S 7.44, total 100.44 wt.%, corresponding to Pd9.07Ag2.22Pb1.78S3.93. The density, calculated on the basis of the empirical formula, is 9.81 g/cm3. The mineral is tetragonal, space groupI4/mmm, witha= 7.973(3),c= 9.139(3) Å,V= 581.0(4) Å3andZ= 2. The crystal structure was solved from the single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction data of synthetic Pd9Ag2Pb2S4. Panskyite is isostructural with thalhammerite (Pd9Ag2Bi2S4). The mineral name is for the locality, the Pansky massif of the Fedorova–Pana layered intrusion in the Kola Peninsula, Russia.

Fluorescence Polarization-Based Bioassays: New Horizons.

Fluorescence polarization holds considerable promise for bioanalytical systems because it allows the detection of selective interactions in real time and a choice of fluorophores, the detection of which the biosample matrix does not influence; thus, their choice simplifies and accelerates the preparation of samples. For decades, these possibilities were successfully applied in fluorescence polarization immunoassays based on differences in the polarization of fluorophore emissions excited by plane-polarized light, whether in a free state or as part of an immune complex. However, the results of recent studies demonstrate the efficacy of fluorescence polarization as a detected signal in many bioanalytical methods. This review summarizes and comparatively characterizes these developments. It considers the integration of fluorescence polarization with the use of alternative receptor molecules and various fluorophores; different schemes for the formation of detectable complexes and the amplification of the signals generated by them. New techniques for the detection of metal ions, nucleic acids, and enzymatic reactions based on fluorescence polarization are also considered.

Photochemistry with Plane-Polarized Light: Controlling Photochemical Reactivity via Spatially Selective Excitation.

Photochemical reactions are intrinsically difficult to control because they involve high-energy excited-state species. Herein we report a novel approach toward controlling photochemical reactions via using the spatially selective excitation of specific electronic transitions. This can be performed using photochemical irradiation with the plane-polarized light of a photoreactive compound uniformly aligned in a nematic liquid-crystalline (LC) medium. Having chosen cyclopropenone photodecarbonylation as a proof-of-concept reaction, we demonstrated that it could be controlled via changing an angle between the incident light polarization plane and the LC director. We showed that two specific partially forbidden electronic transitions were mostly responsible for this photochemical reaction. We envision that this simple general method can be useful in experimental studies of the fundamental details of various photochemical processes and can help to increase the selectivity of photochemical transformations.

Rock classification in petrographic thin section images based on concatenated convolutional neural networks

Rock classification plays an important role in rock mechanics, petrology, mining engineering, magmatic processes, and numerous other fields pertaining to geosciences. This study proposes a concatenated convolutional neural network (Con-CNN) method for classifying geologic rock types based on petrographic thin sections. Plane polarized light (PPL) and crossed polarized light (XPL) were used to acquire thin section images as the fundamental data. After conducting the necessary pre-processing, the PPL and XPL images as well as their comprehensive image developed by principal component analysis were sliced into small patches and were put into three CNNs, comprising the same structure for achieving a preliminary classification. Subsequently, these patches classification results of the CNNs were concatenated by using the maximum likelihood method to obtain a comprehensive classification result. Finally, a statistical revision was applied to fix the misclassification due to the proportion differences of minerals that were similar in appearance. In this study, there were 92 rock samples of 13 types giving 106 petrographic thin sections and 2208 petrographic thin section images, and finally 238,464 sliced image patches were used for the training and validation of the Con-CNN method. The 5-folds cross validation showed that the proposed method provides an overall accuracy of 89.97% and a kappa coefficient of 0.86, which facilitates the automation of rock classification in petrographic thin section images.

Tilkerodeite, Pd2HgSe3, a New Platinum-Group Mineral from Tilkerode, Harz Mountains, Germany

Tilkerodeite, ideally Pd2HgSe3, is a new platinum-group selenide from the Eskaborner Stollen (Adit Eskaborn) at Tilkerode, Harz Mountains, Germany. Tilkerodeite crystals occur as euhedral inclusions in tiemannite or as extremely fine-grained lamellar aggregates (grain-size up to 3 μm) in a dolomite–ankerite matrix, together with clausthalite, tiemannite, jacutingaite, stibiopalladinite, and native gold. Neighbouring Se-bearing minerals include tischendorfite and chrisstanleyite. Tilkerodeite is opaque with a metallic luster, and is flexible in blade-like crystals, with perfect basal cleavage {001}. In plane-polarized light, tilkerodeite is brownish-grey. It is weakly bireflectant, and weakly pleochroic in shades of light-brown and grey. The anisotropy is weak, with rotation tints in weak shades of greenish-brown and grey-brown. The range of reflectance is estimated in comparison to clausthalite with 45–50%. Electron-microprobe analyses yield the mean composition (wt. %) Se 32.68, Hg 26.33, Pt 20.62, Pd 15.89, Pb 2.72, Cu 0.66, S 0.27, total 99.17 wt. %. The empirical formula (based on six atoms pfu) is (Pd1.08Pt0.76Pb0.09Cu0.07)Σ2.00Hg0.95(Se2.98S0.07)Σ3.05. The ideal formula is Pd2HgSe3. Tilkerodeite is trigonal, with Pt4Tl2Te6-type structure, space group P3–m1, a = 7.325(9) Å, c = 5.288(6) Å, V = 245.7(9) Å3, and Z = 2. It is the Pd-analogue of jacutingaite. Tilkerodeite formed hydrothermally, possibly involving the alteration of tiemannite by low-temperature oxidizing fluids. The new species has been approved by the IMA-CNMNC (2019-111) and is named after the locality. Tilkerode is the most important selenide-bearing occurrence in Germany and type locality of naumannite, eskebornite, and tischendorfite.

Ultra-high sensitivity sensing based on tunable plasmon-induced transparency in graphene metamaterials in terahertz

Abstract We investigate plasmon-induced transparency (PIT) and sensing characteristics in a simple graphene metamaterial through the finite-different time-domain (FDTD) simulation. The results indicate that PIT is caused by the destructive interference between two plasmonic modes in the crossed graphene structure. To effectively and dynamically tune the transmission spectrum of PIT, we can change positional parameters of vertical graphene sheet, and Fermi level, and polarization angle of plane-polarized light, respectively. In particular, when monolayer graphene is changed into two layers, single PIT transparent window splits into double induced transparent windows, and double PIT can also be dynamically tuned by the height h. Further, we also find that the sensitivity can reach up to 1.71345 THz/RIU, and figure of merit(FOM) can reach up to 6.998. The results may provide a new foundation for manufacturing a low-power, ultra-fast response, dynamically adjustable micro-nano sensor in terahertz.

Arsenotu\u010dekite, Ni18Sb3AsS16, a new mineral from the Tsangli chromitites, Othrys ophiolite, Greece

Arsenotučekite, Ni18Sb3AsS16, is a new mineral discovered in the abandoned chromium mine of Tsangli, located in the eastern portion of the Othrys ophiolite complex, central Greece. Tsangli is one of the largest chromite deposit at which chromite was mined since 1870. The Tsangli chromitite occurs as lenticular and irregular bodies. The studied chromitites are hosted in a strongly serpentinized mantle peridotite. Arsenotučekite forms anhedral to subhedral grains that vary in size between 5 μm up to 100 μm, and occurs as single phase grains or is associated with pentlandite, breithauptite, gersdorffite and chlorite. It is brittle and has a metallic luster. In plane-polarized light, it is creamy-yellow, the bireflectance is barely perceptible and the pleochroism is weak. In crossed polarized reflected light, the anisotropic rotation tints vary from pale blue to brown. Internal reflections were not observed. Reflectance values of arsenotučekite in air (Ro, Re′ in %) are: 41.8–46.4 at 470 nm, 47.2–50.6 at 546 nm, 49.4–52.3 at 589 nm, and 51.3–53.2 at 650 nm. The empirical formula of arsenotučekite, based on 38 atoms per formula unit, and according to the structural results, is (Ni16.19Co1.01Fe0.83)Σ18.03Sb3(As0.67Sb0.32)Σ0.99S15.98. The mass density is 6.477 g·cm−3. The simplified chemical formula is (Ni,Co,Fe)18Sb3(As,Sb)S16. The mineral is tetragonal and belongs to space group I4/mmm, with a = 9.7856(3) Å, c = 10.7582(6) Å, V = 1030.2(6) Å3 and Z = 2. The structure is layered (stacking along the c-axis) and is dominated by three different Ni-coordination polyhedral, one octahedral and two cubic. The arsenotučekite structure can be considered as a superstructure of tučekite resulting from the ordering of Sb and As. The name of the new mineral species indicates the As-dominant of tučekite. Arsenotučekite occurs as rims partly replacing pentlandite and irregularly developed grains. Furthermore, it is locally associated with chlorite. These observations suggest that it was likely precipitated at relatively low temperatures during: 1) the late hydrothermal stages of the ore-forming process by reaction of Sb- and As-bearing solutions with magmatic sulfides such as pentlandite, or 2) during the serpentinization of the host peridotite. The mineral and its name have been approved by the Commission of New Minerals, Nomenclature, and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association (number 2019–135).

Roterbärite, PdCuBiSe3, a new mineral species from the Roter Bär mine, Harz Mountains, Germany

Roterbarite, PdCuBiSe3, is a new mineral species from the Roter Bar mine, Harz Mountains, Germany. It forms euhedral to subhedral grains, up to 50 μm across, embedded in clausthalite, which is spatially associated with gold, mertieite-II, bohdanowiczite, hematite, chalcopyrite, baryte, ankerite and dolomite. Roterbarite is brittle and has a metallic luster. In plane-polarized light, roterbarite is slightly pleochroic in shades of dark cream to slightly greenish cream; it has weak anisotropy with rotation tints in shades of pale orange brown to grey and exhibits no internal reflections. Reflectance values of roterbarite in air (R2, R1 in %) are: 42.4/43.0 at 470 nm, 45.4/44.4 at 546 nm, 46.8/44.6 at 589 nm and 47.7/44.6 at 650 nm. Eighteen electron-microprobe analyses of roterbarite gave an average composition (in wt%): Pd 18.1 wt%, Bi 35.2 wt%, Cu 10.5 wt%, Se 33.5 wt% and S 2.6 wt%, totalling 99.8 wt% and corresponding to the empirical formula Pd1.01Cu0.98Bi1.00(Se2.53S0.48)3.01, based on 6 atoms; the average of ten microanalyses on its synthetic analogue is: Pd 17.62 wt%, Cu 10.74 wt%, Bi 33.59 wt% and Se 38.70 wt%, the total of which is 100.65 wt% and corresponds to Pd1.01Cu1.03Bi0.98Se2.98. The ideal formula is PdCuBiSe3. The density, calculated on the basis of the empirical formula, is 7.23 g/cm3. The mineral is orthorhombic, space group P212121, with a 5.00520(10), b 7.9921(2) A, c 13.5969(2) A, V 543.90(2) A3 and Z = 4. The crystal structure was solved and refined from the powder X-ray diffraction data of synthetic PdCuBiSe3. Roterbarite crystallizes in the (Bi,Sb)CuNiS3 structure-type, being isostructural with minerals of the lapieite group – i.e., lapieite (CuNiSbS3), muckeite (CuNiBiS3) and lisiguangite (CuPtBiS3). Roterbarite belongs to the vast group of sulfosalts and related compounds (a selenio-salt). The strongest lines in the powder X-ray diffraction pattern of the synthetic PdCuBiSe3 [d in A (I) (hkl)] are: 3.3593 (97) (103), 3.1226 (100) (120), 3.0434 (75) (121), 2.3894 (39) (105), 1.9210 (70)(223).

Richardsite, Zn2CuGaS4, A New Gallium-Essential Member of the Stannite Group from the Gem Mines near Merelani, Tanzania

The new mineral richardsite occurs as overgrowths of small (50–400 μm) dark gray, disphenoidal crystals with no evident twinning, but epitaxically oriented on wurtzite–sphalerite crystals from the gem mines near Merelani, Lelatema Mountains, Simanjiro District, Manyara Region, Tanzania. Associated minerals also include graphite, diopside, and Ge,Ga-rich wurtzite. It is brittle, dark gray in color, and has a metallic luster. It appears dark bluish gray in reflected plane-polarized light, and is moderately bireflectant. It is distinctly anisotropic with violet to light-blue rotation tints with crossed polarizers. Reflectance percentages for Rmin and Rmax in air at the respective wavelengths are 23.5, 25.0 (471.1 nm); 27.4, 28.9 (548.3 nm); 28.1, 29.4 (586.6 nm); 27.7, 28.9 (652.3 nm). Richardsite does not show pleochroism, internal reflections, or optical indications of growth zonation. Electron microprobe analyses determine an empirical formula, based on 8 apfu, as (Zn1.975Cu0.995Ga0.995Fe0.025Mn0.010Ge0.005Sn0.005)Σ4.010S3.990, while its simplified formula is (Zn,Cu)2(Cu,Fe,Mn)(Ga,Ge,Sn)S4, and the ideal formula is Zn2CuGaS4. The crystal structure of richardsite was investigated using single-crystal and powder X-ray diffraction. It is tetragonal, with a = 5.3626(2) Å, c = 10.5873(5) Å, V = 304.46(2) Å3, Z = 2, and a calculated density of 4.278 g·cm−3. The four most intense X-ray powder diffraction lines [d in Å (I/I0)] are 3.084 (100); 1.882 (40); 1.989 (20); 1.614 (20). The refined crystal structure (R1 = 0.0284 for 655 reflections) and obtained chemical formula indicate that richardsite is a new member of the stannite group with space group I 4 ¯ 2 m . Its structure consists of a ccp array of sulfur atoms tetrahedrally bonded with metal atoms occupying one-half of the ccp tetrahedral voids. The ordering of the metal atoms leads to a sphalerite(sph)-derivative tetragonal unit-cell, with a ≈ asph and c ≈ 2asph. The packing of S atoms slightly deviates from the ideal, mainly due to the presence of Ga. Using 632.8-nm wavelength laser excitation, the most intense Raman response is a narrow peak at 309 cm−1, with other relatively strong bands at 276, 350, and 366 cm−1, and broader and weaker bands at 172, 676, and 722 cm−1. Richardsite is named in honor of Dr. R. Peter Richards in recognition of his extensive research and writing on topics related to understanding the genesis of the morphology of minerals. Its status as a new mineral and its name have been approved by the Commission of New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association (No. 2019-136).

Viteite, Pd5InAs, a new mineral from the Monchetundra layered intrusion, Kola Peninsula, Russia

ABSTRACT Viteite, Pd5InAs, is a new mineral discovered in the Monchetundra layered intrusion, Kola Peninsula, Russia. It forms euhedral grains about 0.5 to 10 μm in size intergrown with irarsite (IrAsS), hollingworthite (RhAsS), zvyagintsevite (Pd3Pb), Au-Ag alloys, and tulameenite (Pt2CuFe), that are replaced by Pt-Pd-Fe-Cu alloys and Pt-Pd-Fe-Cu oxygenated compounds, all of which are embedded in chalcocite, goethite, and covellite. Viteite is brittle and has a metallic luster. In plane-polarized light, viteite is bright pinkish-white. The mineral is weakly anisotropic with rotation tints blue to pinkish brown; it exhibits no internal reflections. Reflectance values of viteite in air (R1, R2 in %) are 55.7, 54.0 at 470 nm; 59.2, 58.4 at 546 nm; 60.0, 60.4 at 589 nm; and 60.0, 62.6 at 650 nm. Eight electron-microprobe analyses of viteite give an average composition of Pd 71.90, Pt 1.60, Fe 0.98, Cu 0.59, In 11.48, Hg 1.42, Pb 0.40, As 10.70, total 99.07 wt.%, corresponding to the empirical formula (Pd4.92Pt0.06)Σ4.98(In0.73Fe0.12Cu0.07Hg0.05Pb0.01)Σ0.98As1.04 based on 7 atoms; the average of 12 analyses of its synthetic analogue is: Pd 73.72, In 16.37, As 9.80, total 99.90 wt.%, corresponding to Pd5.02In1.03As0.95. The density, calculated on the basis of the empirical formula, is 10.78 g/cm3. The mineral is tetragonal, space group P4/mmm, with a 3.98600(3), c 6.98385(8) Å, V 110.961(2) Å3, and Z = 1. The crystal structure of synthetic Pd5InAs was solved and refined using powder X-ray-diffraction data from synthetic Pd5InAs. Viteite crystallizes with the Pd5TlAs structure type. The strongest lines in the X-ray powder diffraction pattern of synthetic Pd5InAs [d in Å (I) (hkl)] are: 2.3281(45)(003), 2.1932(100)(112), 1.9928(33)(020), 1.2515(17)(115), 1.1857(25)(132). The mineral is named for the Vite river, which flows near the Monchetundra intrusion.

Bowlesite, PtSnS, a new platinum group mineral (PGM) from the Merensky Reef of the Bushveld Complex, South Africa

AbstractBowlesite is a new mineral discovered in the Merensky Reef of the Rustenburg Platinum Mine, Bushveld complex, South Africa. Bowlesite forms tiny grains (maximum dimension 20 μm). It is associated with sulfides including chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite and pentlandite, in contact with silicates including plagioclase, pyroxene- and minor serpentine-subgroup and amphibole-supergroup minerals. Bowlesite is brittle and has a metallic lustre. In plane-polarised light, bowlesite has a light bluish grey colour. It shows weak bireflectance, no pleochroism and has weak anisotropism. Internal reflections were not observed. Reflectance values of bowlesite in air (R1, R2 in %) are: 50.3–51.4 at 470 nm, 48.5–48.9 at 546 nm, 47.9–48.6 at 589 nm and 47.8–48.7 at 650 nm. Ten spot analyses of bowlesite give the average composition: Pt 56.85, Pd 0.02, Sn 34.03 and S 9.15, total 100.05 wt.%, corresponding to the empirical formula (Pt1.001Pd0.001)Σ1.002Sn0.997S1.001, based on 3 atoms per formula unit. The simplified formula is PtSnS. Due to the small size of bowlesite, the crystal structure was solved and refined from the powder X-ray-diffraction data of synthetic PtSnS. The calculated density is 10.06 g⋅cm–3. The mineral is orthorhombic, space group: Pca21 (#29) with a = 6.11511(10), b = 6.12383(10), c = 6.09667(11) Å, V = 228.31(1) Å3 and Z = 4. Bowlesite is isotypic with cobaltite, CoAsS. The origin of bowlesite is probably related to low-T exsolution of Pt–Sn phases from high-T sulfides crystallised from the sulfide melt. The mineral honours Dr. John Bowles (Manchester University, UK) for his contributions to ore mineralogy and mineral deposits related to mafic–ultramafic rocks.

Faraday effect and fragmentation of ferromagnetic layers in multilayer Co/Cu(1 1 1) nanofilms

With purpose to investigate influence of magnetically non-active metal layers on the Faraday effect in multilayer Ferromagnetic/Normal metal films, dependences of the Faraday rotation angles of the light polarization plane on magnetic field have been studied in multilayer [Co/Cu] nanofilms. It was revealed that the Faraday rotation φ varies with thickness of the Cu layers dCu. This φ(dCu) dependence consists of the monotonic component, namely a gradual rise of the angle with increase of dCu, and the non-monotonic one represented by two minima. The monotonic changes of the Faraday rotation were satisfactory described in frames of the effective medium method. Two minima are explained with the Co layer’s fragmentation due to influence of size electron quantization in the Cu layers on formation of Co clusters during deposition of the films.

Optical rotation of white light

Plane-polarized monochromatic light is rotated in an optically active medium. The extent of the rotation is wavelength dependent, following an optical rotatory dispersion (ORD) curve. Typically, this phenomenon is studied by using a few discrete wavelengths. Here, we demonstrate optical rotation of white light. Corn syrup is used as the medium as large angles of optical rotation can be generated in compact containers. The Drude expression for ORD and Malus' law are used to predict the spectrum of the light transmitted as a function of the angle between polarizers located on either side of the sample. Despite the transmission spectrum of corn syrup in the absence of polarizers being unremarkable, optical rotation leads to a dramatic change in color because a “notch” is generated in the spectrum of the transmitted light. The extinction region can be translated across the spectrum by rotating the analyzer. The experimentally measured location of the region of maximum extinction and the color of the transmitted light are in excellent qualitative agreement with the predicted values. The experiment is ideal both as a lecture demonstration and for quantitative investigation in an undergraduate laboratory of the spectral distribution of light transmitted by a chiral medium.

Monchetundraite, Pd2NiTe2, a new mineral from the Monchetundra layered intrusion, Kola Peninsula, Russia

Monchetundraite, Pd2NiTe2 is a new mineral discovered in the the Monchetundra layered intrusion, Kola Peninsula, Russia. It forms euhedral grains (up to about 20 μm) intergrown with kotulskite and pentlandite. Monchetundraite is brittle and has a metallic lustre. In plane-polarized light, monchetundraite is white to creamy pinkish white, strongly pleochroic and strongly anisotropic on prismatic sections with rotations tints of pale blue, orange and olive green; it exhibits no internal reflections. Reflectance values (R1 nd R2) of monchetundraite in air are 44.3% and 45.8% at 470 nm; 48.7% and 50.7% at 546 nm; 51.4% and 53.7% at 589 nm, and 55.6% and 57.5% at 650 nm wavelength. Five electron probe micro-analyser (EPMA) measurements of monchetundraite give a mean composition of Pd 40.04 wt%, Cu 0.72 wt%, Fe 0.27 wt%, Ni 10.58 wt%, S 0.64 wt%, Te 48.20 wt%, total 100.07 wt%, which corresponds to the empirical formula (Pd1.96Cu0.06)∑2.02(Ni0.94Fe0.03)∑0.97 (Te1.97S0.04) ∑2.01 based on a total of 5 atoms. Means of eleven EPMA analyses on the synthetic analogue are Pd 40.85 wt%, Ni 10.78 wt%, Te 48.46 wt%, total 100.09 wt%, which corresponds to Pd2.03Ni0.97Te2.00. The mass density, calculated on the basis of the empirical formula, is 9.45 g/cm3. The mineral is orthorhombic, space group Ibam, with a 6.31111(13), b 11.2469(2) A, c 5.16687(15) A, V 366.75(1) A3 and Z = 4. The crystal structure was solved and refined from the powder X-ray-diffraction data of synthetic Pd2NiTe2. Monchetundraite adopts the crystal structure of synthetic Pd2NiTe2, which was first determined by Pocha et al. (2007) and refined in this study. The strongest lines in the X-ray powder diffraction pattern of synthetic Pd2NiTe2 [d in A (I) (hkl)] are: 2.8117 (100) (040), 2.6190 (33) (211), 2.5835 (32) (002), 2.3000 (41) (141), 2.1874 (39) (231), 2.1189 (22) (150), 2.0993 (22) (240), 1.9024 (52) (042), 1.8411 (26) (321), 1.3263 (32) (181). The mineral is named for the locality, the Monchetundra intrusion, Kola Peninsula, Russia.

Grammatikopoulosite, NiVP, a New Phosphide from the Chromitite of the Othrys Ophiolite, Greece

Grammatikopoulosite, NiVP, is a new phosphide discovered in the podiform chromitite and hosted in the mantle sequence of the Othrys ophiolite complex, central Greece. The studied samples were collected from the abandoned chromium mine of Agios Stefanos. Grammatikopoulosite forms small crystals (from 5 μm up to about 80 μm) and occurs as isolated grains. It is associated with nickelphosphide, awaruite, tsikourasite, and an undetermined V-sulphide. It is brittle and has a metallic luster. In plane-polarized light, it is creamy-yellow, weakly bireflectant, with measurable but not discernible pleochroism and slight anisotropy with indeterminate rotation tints. Internal reflections were not observed. Reflectance values of mineral in air (R1, R2 in %) are: 48.8–50.30 at 470 nm, 50.5–53.5 at 546 nm, 51.7–55.2 at 589 nm, and 53.2–57.1 at 650 nm. Five spot analyses of grammatikopoulosite give the average composition: P 19.90, S 0.41, Ni 21.81, V 20.85, Co 16.46, Mo 16.39, Fe 3.83, and Si 0.14, total 99.79 wt %. The empirical formula of grammatikopoulosite—based on Σ(V + Ni + Co + Mo + Fe + Si) = 2 apfu, and taking into account the structural results—is (Ni0.57Co0.32Fe0.11)Σ1.00(V0.63Mo0.26Co0.11)Σ1.00(P0.98S0.02)Σ1.00. The simplified formula is (Ni,Co)(V,Mo)P and the ideal formula is NiVP, which corresponds to Ni 41.74%, V 36.23%, P 22.03%, total 100 wt %. The density, calculated on the basis of the empirical formula and single-crystal data, is 7.085 g/cm3. The mineral is orthorhombic, space group Pnma, with a = 5.8893(8), b = 3.5723(4), c = 6.8146(9) Å, V = 143.37(3) Å3, and Z = 4. The mineral and its name have been approved by the Commission of New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA 2019-090). The mineral honors Tassos Grammatikopoulos, geoscientist at the SGS Canada Inc., for his contribution to the economic mineralogy and mineral deposits of Greece.

Maletoyvayamite, Au3Se4Te6, a new mineral from Maletoyvayam deposit, Kamchatka peninsula, Russia

AbstractMaletoyvayamite, Au3Se4Te6, is a new mineral discovered in a heavy-mineral concentrate from the Gaching occurrence of the Maletoyvayam deposit, Kamchatka, Russia (60°19′51.87″N, 164°46′25.65″E). It forms anhedral grains (10 to 50 μm in size) and is found in intergrowths with native gold (Au–Ag), Au tellurides (calaverite), unnamed phases (AuSe, Au2TeSe and Au oxide), native tellurium, sulfosalts (tennantite, tetrahedrite, goldfieldite and watanabeite) and supergene tripuhyite. Maletoyvayamite has a good cleavage on {010} and {001}. In plane-polarised light, maletoyvayamite is grey, has strong bireflectance (grey to bluish grey), and strong anisotropy; it exhibits no internal reflections. Reflectance values for maletoyvayamite in air (Rmin,Rmaxin %) are: 38.9, 39.1 at 470 nm; 39.3, 39.5 at 546 nm; 39.3, 39.6 at 589 nm; and 39.4, 39.7 at 650 nm. Sixteen electron-microprobe analyses of maletoyvayamite gave an average composition: Au 34.46, Se 16.76, Te 47.23 and S 0.84, total 99.29 wt.%, corresponding to the formula Au2.90(Se3.52S0.44)Σ3.96Te6.14based on 13 atoms; the average of eleven analyses on synthetic analogue is: Au 34.20, Se 19.68 and Te 45.42, total 99.30 wt.%, corresponding to Au2.90Se4.16Te5.94. The calculated density is 7.98 g/cm3. The mineral is triclinic, space groupP1, witha= 8.901(2),b= 9.0451(14),c= 9.265(4) Å, α = 97.66(3), β = 106.70(2), γ = 101.399(14)°,V= 685.9(4) Å3andZ= 2. The crystal structure of maletoyvayamite represents a unique structure type resembling a molecular structure. There are cube-like [Au6Se8Te12] clusters linkedviavan der Waals interactions. The structural identity of maletoyvayamite with the synthetic Au3Se4Te6was confirmed by powder X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy.

Nipalarsite, Ni8Pd3As4, a new platinum-group mineral from the Monchetundra Intrusion, Kola Peninsula, Russia

AbstractNipalarsite, Ni8Pd3As4, is a new platinum-group mineral discovered in the sulfide-bearing orthopyroxenite of the Monchetundra layered intrusion, Kola Peninsula, Russia (67°52′22″N, 32°47′60″E). Nipalarsite forms anhedral grains (5–80 µm in size) in intergrowths with sperrylite, kotulskite, hollingworthite, isomertieite, menshikovite, palarstanide, nielsenite and monchetundtraite enclosed in pentlandite, anthophyllite, actinolite and chlorite. Nipalarsite is brittle, has a metallic lustre and a grey streak. In plane-polarised light, nipalarsite is light grey with a blue tinge. Reflectance values in air (in %) are: 46.06 at 470 nm, 48.74 at 546 nm, 50.64 at 589 nm and 54.12 at 650 nm. Values of VHN20 fall between 400.5 and 449.2 kg.mm–2, with a mean value of 429.9 kg.mm–2, corresponding to a Mohs hardness of ~4. The average result of 27 electron microprobe wavelength dispersive spectroscopy analyses of nipalarsite is (wt.%): Ni 44.011, Pd 28.74, Fe0.32, Cu 0.85, Pt 0.01, Au 0.05, As 25.42, Sb 0.05, Te 0.39, total 99.85. The empirical formula (normalised to 15 atoms per formula unit) is: (Ni8.10Fe0.06)Σ8.16(Pd2.94Cu0.18)Σ3.12(As3.68Te0.03)Σ3.71 or, ideally, Ni8Pd3As4. Nipalarsite is cubic, space group Fm$\bar{3}$m, with a = 11.4428(9) Å, V = 1498.3(4) Å3 and Z = 8. The strongest lines in the powder X-ray diffraction pattern of synthetic Ni8Pd3As4 [d, Å (I) (hkl)] are: 2.859(10)(004), 2.623(6)(313), 2.557(6)(024), 2.334(11)(224), 2.201(35)(115,333), 2.021(100)(044), 1.906(8)(006,244) and 1.429(7)(008). The crystal structure was solved and refined from the single-crystal X-ray diffraction data of synthetic Ni8Pd3As4. The relation between natural and synthetic nipalarsite is illustrated by an electron back-scattered diffraction study of natural nipalarsite. The density calculated on the basis of the empirical formula of nipalarsite is 9.60 g.cm–3. The mineral name corresponds to the three main elements: Ni, Pd and As.

Optical cryostat with sample rotating unit for polarization-sensitive terahertz and infrared spectroscopy

We developed an optical cryostat with a sample-rotation unit for polarization-sensitive measurement in terahertz (THz) and infrared (IR) ranges. The cryostat, in combination with two metal-grid polarizers, provides full control of mutual orientation of the sample’s crystallographic axes and the light polarization plane. Importantly, this control is realized in-situ , i.e., during the sample cooling–heating cycle. To demonstrate the abilities of the developed cryostat, we used it in combination with a laboratory-made THz time-domain spectrometer, for polarization-sensitive measurements of an orthoferrite (YFeO3) in the range of 5 to 50 cm − 1. These measurements revealed strong angular dependence of the sample transmission. The developed cryostat is capable for solving numerous demanding problems of THz and IR spectroscopy in condensed matter physics and materials science, biophysics, chemical, and pharmaceutical sciences.