Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Mid-Infrared Optical Constants Of Labradorite, A Triclinic Plagioclase Mineral, Cheng Ye, Melinda J. Rucks, Jessica A. Arnold, Timothy D. Glotch

Geosciences Research Data

Plagioclase feldspar is the most abundant rock-forming mineral in the crust of the Earth, Moon, and Mars, and is also an important component in some minor bodies in the Solar System. The distribution, abundance, and precise composition of plagioclase on planetary surfaces from remote sensing data is an important tool for evaluating changing conditions during magma evolution. Optical constants are critical input parameters in radiative transfer theory, which enables modeling of spectra for the extraction of mineral abundances and grain sizes from a remotely sensed spectrum. Mid-infrared (MIR) optical constants of most triclinic rock-forming minerals are not available due to …