阴极荧光探测器

Zircons (ZrSiO₄) are ubiquitous in the crust of Earth and are a common accessory to trace mineral constituent of most granite and felsic igneous rocks. Zircons have low solubility in most melt and fluid compositions and can survive geological processes such as erosion, transport, or high-grade metamorphism. This makes zircon one of the most important minerals for geochronology. Different types of zircon domains are identified by CL imaging and U-Pb dating is then used to determine ages of different zones within the crystal. This helps to recognize various geological processes recorded during the history of the grain.

Cathodoluminescence (CL) - light emission produced by electron beam - reveals information about material composition and structure that often cannot be obtained by other methods. In geosciences, optical cathodoluminescence became a standard technique. With the development of scanning electron microscopes, SEM-CL is gaining in popularity. In comparison with optical CL microscopes, where the sample is irradiated with stationary unfocussed electron beam, SEM-based CL imaging achieves much better resolution and it can be combined in situ with other analytical methods.