7.1 The application of vsi (vertical scanning interferometry) to  (Page 9/8)

Introduction

The processes which occur at the surfaces of crystals depend on many external and internal factors such as crystal structure and composition, conditions of a medium where the crystal surface exists and others. The appearance of a crystal surface is the result of complexity of interactions between the crystal surface and the environment. The mechanisms of surface processes such as dissolution or growth are studied by the physical chemistry of surfaces. There are a lot of computational techniques which allows us to predict the changing of surface morphology of different minerals which are influenced by different conditions such as temperature, pressure, pH and chemical composition of solution reacting with the surface. For example, Monte Carlo method is widely used to simulate the dissolution or growth of crystals. However, the theoretical models of surface processes need to be verified by natural observations. We can extract a lot of useful information about the surface processes through studying the changing of crystal surface structure under influence of environmental conditions. The changes in surface structure can be studied through the observation of crystal surface topography. The topography can be directly observed macroscopically or by using microscopic techniques. Microscopic observation allows us to study even very small changes and estimate the rate of processes by observing changing the crystal surface topography in time.

Much laboratory worked under the reconstruction of surface changes and interpretation of dissolution and precipitation kinetics of crystals. Invention of AFM made possible to monitor changes of surface structure during dissolution or growth. However, to detect and quantify the results of dissolution processes or growth it is necessary to determine surface area changes over a significantly larger field of view than AFM can provide. More recently, vertical scanning interferometry (VSI) has been developed as new tool to distinguish and trace the reactive parts of crystal surfaces. VSI and AFM are complementary techniques and practically well suited to detect surface changes.

VSI technique provides a method for quantification of surface topography at the angstrom to nanometer level. Time-dependent VSI measurements can be used to study the surface-normal retreat across crystal and other solid surfaces during dissolution process. Therefore, VSI can be used to directly and nondirectly measure mineral dissolution rates with high precision. Analogically, VSI can be used to study kinetics of crystal growth.

Physical principles of optical interferometry

Optical interferometry allows us to make extremely accurate measurements and has been used as a laboratory technique for almost a hundred years. Thomas Young observed interference of light and measured the wavelength of light in an experiment, performed around 1801. This experiment gave an evidence of Young's arguments for the wave model for light. The discovery of interference gave a basis to development of interferomertry techniques widely successfully used as in microscopic investigations, as in astronomic investigations.