THORITE
Chemical Formula: (Th,U)SiO4
Familly: Silicates
Status: IMA-GP
Crystal System: Tetragonal
Mineral for Display: No
Associated names (luminescent varieties, discredited names, synonymes etc.):
THOROGUMMITE, orangite, uranothorite,
Luminescence:
UV Type |
Main color |
Intensity |
Observation Frequency |
|
| | | |
Long Waves (365nm): | Green | | | Mid waves (320 nm): | Green | | | Short Waves (254 nm): | Green | | | | | | |
Phosphorescence (in the common meaning of the term) seen by naked eye:
No Data
Main Activator(s) and spectrum:
Most Common Activator: (UO2)2+ (Uranyl ion) as impurities
Other activators: Sm3+ , Eu3+ , Dy3+ , Tb3+ , Ti - O ,
Peaks in the spectrum (nm):
(UO2)2+ : broad band peaking at 525 - 530nm (FWMH: 75nm)
Eu3+ : lines at 591, 615 and 702nm
Sm3+ : 602, 640nm
(Ti - O) : large band with max at 520-550nm
Spectrum: Michael Gaft, Petah Tikva, Israel. Plot: Institute of Mineralogy, University of Vienna, Austria, with permission of the authors.
Best Locality for luminescence(*):
- Langesundfjord Region, Norway (yellowish variety called orangite and fluorescing green SW&LW);
- Landsverk 1 Feldspar Quarry, Landsverk, Evje og Hornnes, Agder, Norway;
- Laajamaa pegmatite, Pello, Lapland, Finland (var. uranothorite);
- Little Brown Egg thorium occurrence, Broadwater Co., Montana, USA;
- Kipawa alkaline complex, Les Lacs-du-Témiscamingue, Témiscamingue RCM, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Québec, Canada;
- Rock Landing Quarry, Haddam Neck, Haddam, Middlesex Co., Connecticut, USA
(*)Data are not exhaustive and are limited to the most important localities for fluorescence
Bibliographical Reference for luminescence:
- The Henkel Glossary of Fluorescent Minerals, Dr. Gerhard Henkel, Published by the FMS, 1989 ,
- Fluorescence: Gems and Minerals Under Ultraviolet Light, Manuel Robbins, 1994, Geoscience Press, ISBN 0-945005-13-X ,
- Luminescence Spectroscopy of Minerals and Materials, M. Gaft, R. Reisfeld, G. Panczer, Springer Editor, ISBN: 10 3-540-21918-8 ,
- Luminescent Spectra of Minerals, Boris S. Gorobets and Alexandre A. Rogojine, Moscow, 2002 ,
Luminescence Reference on internet:
Mineralogical Reference on internet:
http://www.mindat.org/show.php?name=Thorite
http://webmineral.com/data/Thorite.shtml
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