1 The polarizing microscope
1.1 Microscope components and
their function
The polarizing microscope is a specialized magni-
fication instrument. It is equipped with two
polarizers which enable minerals to be examined
under plane-polarized light, for their bire-
fringence and refraction characteristics.
Modern microscopes are of a box-like con-
struction equipped with the optical parts as
shown in Fig. 1. The polarizer converts
unpolarized light, which is emitted from the
microscope's light, source and which vibrates in
numerous directions, into polarized light, which
vibrates within a single plane. The vibration di-
rection of the plane-polarized light traditionally
has an E-W privileged direction parallel to the
horizontal line of the cross-hairs in the ocular. As
polarized light, it travels through the thin mineral
section and undergoes a number of changes
which can be examined either with or without an
H. Pichler et al., Rock-forming Minerals in Thin Section
© Chapman & Hall 1997
analyser. This is a second polarizer with the privi-
leged direction in N-S orientation (parallel to the
vertical line of the cross-hairs in the ocular). If an
object is viewed with the analyser inserted, it is
said to be viewed under crossed nicols or crossed
polars. In older microscopes the privileged direc-
tions of the polarizer and analyser can be
reversed. .
Below the rotatable microscope stage is the
condensing unit (Fig. 2). In the case of
orthoscopic observations at low magnifications,
the upper condensing lens is not used and is
swung out of the path of light. When working at
high magnifications (using a xlO objective lens or
higher) or looking at interference figures in the
conoscopic path of light, the upper condensing
lens is used.
Care must be taken to ensure that the condens-
ing lens is positioned directly below the object,
thus providing optimum illumination. At low
magnifications and during orthoscopic viewing,
Fig. 1 Components of a student microscope
(LABOR-LUX 11 POL, Leitz).
1 Ocular with cross-hair and adjustable eye-piece.
2a Iris diaphragm.
2b Amici Bertrand lens.
3 Analyser (withdrawal, far side of microscope).
4a,b Mechanism to slot in, exchange or remove the
microscope tube.
5 Intermediate tubus piece.
6 Compensator slot.
7 Objective.
8 Microscope stand.
9 Circular rotatable stage with a vernier index and
a pair of stage clips.
10 Combined coarse and fine adjustment to set the
position of the stage.
11 Condensing lens and iris diaphragm.
12 Rotatable polarizer.
13 Microscope light source with adjustable aper-
ture.
14 Adjustment of light.

the condensing lens might have to be slightly
lowered to achieve the best illumination.
The substage assembly consisting of condenser
lenses and an iris diaphragm are used to provide
the best illumination for the object. The iris dia-
phragm (Fig. 2) may be opened or closed as de-
sired by the turn of a lever. In orthoscopic light it
is kept at a narrower setting than in conoscopic
light.
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2 The engravings on the objective lenses (Fig. 3)
\ give the following characteristics: 160/0.17 means
Fig. 2 Example of a substage polarizer and con-
densing lens set-up.
1 Exchangeable condensing lens head.
2 Adjustment levers for swinging the condensing lens
into and out of the path of light.
3 Centring screws for adjusting the condensing lens.
4 Lever to adjust the iris diaphragm.
5 Slot for inserting the fJ4 plate for circular polar-
ization.
6 Rotatable polarizer.
7 Screw to control the pOSition of the polarizer.
Fig. 3 Objectives (LABORLUX 11 POL, Leitz).
1 Lever to fix or loosen the intermediate micro-
scope tube.
2 Microscope tube slot with inserted compen-
sator.
3 Centring screw for objective.
4 Objective showing engravings (explanation in
text) .
5 Springs to hold the thin section in position.
6 Rotatable microscope stage with degree mark-
ings engraved around its edge.
7 Nonius to read off rotations of the microscope
stage to~O accuracy.
Microscope components and their function 3
The rotatable microscope stage should rotate
freely around the microscope axis and be cali-
brated so that degrees of rotation can be deter-
mined on a vernier index. This allows precise
angular measurements to be made.
Modern microscopes tend to have several ob-
jective lenses that can be rotated into the path of
light. Generally three objectives suffice for a stu-
dent microscope: a low-power objective (x2.5 or
4) provides a good overall view of the thin sec-
tion, whereas at medium (xlO) and high (x40, 45
or 63) magnification more detailed observations
can be made, such as determination of the ex-
tinction angle, cleavage intersection angle and
indicatrix observations in the conoscopic light
path.
that the achromatic objective has a free working
distance of 160mm and the thin section must
have a cover glass which is 0.17mm thick. The
engraving 25/0.50 gives the magnification (x25)
and the aperture width of 0.5 mm. Letters such as
NPI (not present in Fig. 3) give additional infor-
mation (NPI = plane chromatic); an additional P
means that the objective is tension free.
The ocular increases the convergence of light
rays from the objective lens so that the real image
can be seen. It should have a pair of mutually
perpendicular cross-hairs, which mark the two
privileged directions of the polarizer and
analyser.
The Bertrand lens is used when the object is
viewed in the conoscopic light path. This lens
tends to be positioned above the analyser on the
right-hand side (Fig. 1) and can be inserted into
the light path as desired.
The different light paths for orthoscopic and
conoscopic observations are shown in Table 1.
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