Quick Search:    advanced search

GSW Home   GeoRef Home   My GSW Alerts   Contact GSW   About GSW   Journals List   Help

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (9) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by KOLESOV, B. A. Articles by ARMBRUSTER, T. Search for Related Content GeoRef GeoRef Citation

The dynamic properties of zircon studied by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy

¹⁾ Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Lavrentiev prosp. 3, Novosibirsk 630090, Russia
²⁾ Institut für Geowissenschaften, Universität Kiel, Olshausenstr. 40, D-24098 Kiel, Germany
³⁾ Laboratorium für chemische und mineralogische Kristallographie, Universität Bern, Freiestrasse 3, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland

^* E-mail: chg{at}min.uni-kiel.de

An investigation of the dynamic properties of synthetic non-metamict zircon, ZrSiO₄, was undertaken using X-ray single-crystal diffraction and polarized single-crystal Raman spectroscopy. The X-ray results at room temperature show that the Zr cation located on the triangular dodecahedral site is tightly bonded. The atomic displacement parameters from different crystals and refinements on zircon are compared and shown to be different. This is probably a result of experimental problems associated with extinction and/or slight degrees of metamictization in natural samples. A calculation of the librational motions of the rigid SiO₄ tetrahedron give a mean-square libration of 3.3(3) degree² along the a axes and 6.9(6) degree² along the c axis. The Raman spectrum shows some unusual features, such as the low wave number SiO₄ bending motion, v₂) at 266 cm^–1, that can be explained by the structural properties of zircon. The structure is characterized by open ‘channels' running parallel to [001] and they influence the energies of the SiO₄ bending modes depending upon their symmetries. The Raman modes differ strongly in intensity and this can be explained by vibrational interactions with the electronic state of Zr⁴⁺. In contrast to garnet, which shares a few structural similarities with zircon, the Zr cation residing in the large dodecahedral site shows little dynamic disorder. In addition, all the external modes in zircon are harmonic in comparison to a few modes in pyrope garnet, for example, that soften with decreasing temperature.

Key-words: zircon, X-ray diffraction, lattice dynamics, Raman spectroscopy.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. M. Reddy, N. E. Timms, and B. M. Eglington Electron backscatter diffraction analysis of zircon: A systematic assessment of match unit characteristics and pattern indexing optimization American Mineralogist, January 1, 2008; 93(1): 187 - 197. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. Titorenkova, B. Mihailova, and L. Konstantinov RAMAN SPECTROSCOPIC STUDY OF VARIABLY RECRYSTALLIZED METAMICT ZIRCON FROM AMPHIBOLITE-FACIES METAGRANITES, SERBO-MACEDONIAN MASSIF, BULGARIA Can Mineral, December 1, 2006; 44(6): 1357 - 1366. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				T. GEISLER, B. E. BURAKOV, V. ZIRLIN, L. NIKOLAEVA, and P. POML A Raman spectroscopic study of high-uranium zircon from the Chernobyl "lava" European Journal of Mineralogy, December 1, 2005; 17(6): 883 - 894. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]