Raman Scattering from Minerals

Raman scattering can be used as a tool for the identification of minerals. Since the Raman spectra for different mineral tend to have sharp peaks which form a fairly unique pattern, they can serve as "fingerprints" for minerals. Since the Raman spectra can be collected remotely, they show great promise for planetary exploration.

The illustration at left shows qualitative sketches of Raman spectra displayed by the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis (http://epsc.wustl.edu/haskin-group/Raman/overview.htm). This research group is developing Raman spectrometers for in situ analysis of minerals on planetary surfaces. The spectra are attributed to Wang et al., J. Geophys. Res. 100, p21189-21199 (1995). Spectra of the common silicate minerals olivine, pyroxene, and plagioclase are compared to a Raman spectrum of a lunar soil sample identified as 71501. 左边的示意图展示了由华盛顿大学圣路易斯地球与行星科学系（http://epsc.wustl.edu/haskin-group/Raman/overview.htm）展示的拉曼光谱的定性草图。该研究组正在开发用于行星表面矿物原位分析的拉曼光谱仪。这些光谱归因于Wang等，J. Geophys. Res. 100, p21189-21199 (1995)。常见硅酸盐矿物橄榄石、辉石和斜长石的光谱与月球土壤样本（编号71501）的拉曼光谱进行比较。