HR: 1340h
AN: ED13B-0723 INVITED     [Abstracts]
TI: Teaching optical mineralogy as a skill for mineral physics
AU: * Jacobsen, S D
EM: s.jacobsen@gl.ciw.edu
AF: Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC 20015 United States
AU: Gramsch, S
EM: s.gramsch@gl.ciw.edu
AF: Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institution of Washington, Washington, DC 20015 United States
AB: Many people argue that optical mineralogy/petrography is either dead, or a lost art. Consequently, as the undergraduate curriculum in mineralogy and petrology is increasingly compressed into a single course, typically the first component to suffer is optical mineralogy. Here we demonstrate the utility of treating optics within the mineralogy/petrology course as it pertains to preparing the student for graduate and post-graduate research, using mineral physics as a prime example of a burgeoning field in which an understanding of optical mineralogy is required for experimental and theoretical studies. In addition to gaining the obvious skills, such as proper use of the transmitted and reflected light microscope and identification of minerals in thin section, by noting several other important applications of optics in experimental studies, students gain insight into the power and utility of the subject while building an essential bridge to more advanced subjects they may encounter in future coursework and research. Many physical property measurements require the study of oriented single crystals, an often dreaded procedure which can be expedited with a basic understanding of the optical properties of minerals. A familiarity with the optical indicatrix will also aid students in understanding other tensor properties of crystals such as electrical and thermal conductivity (tensors of rank two) and elasticity (a forth-rank tensor). Optical and infrared absorption spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and Brillouin spectroscopy, all widely used techniques in mineral physics, will be easier to grasp for the student with a beginning background in optical mineralogy.
DE: 3900 MINERAL PHYSICS
DE: 3934 Optical, infrared, and Raman spectroscopy
DE: 0800 EDUCATION
DE: 0820 Curriculum and laboratory design
SC: Education and Human Resourcese [ED]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting