Miller indices/crystal forms/space groups

Crystal Morphology
How do we keep track of the faces of a crystal?
Sylvite a= 6.293 Fluorite a = 5.463 Pyrite a = 5.418

Galena a = 5.936

Crystal Morphology
How do we keep track of the faces of a crystal?
Remember, face sizes may vary, but angles can't

Note: interfacial angle = the angle between the faces measured like this

120o

120o

120o

120o 120o

120o

120o

Crystal Morphology
How do we keep track of the faces of a crystal?

Remember, face sizes may vary, but angles can't

Thus it's the orientation & angles that are the best source of our indexing

Miller Index is the accepted indexing method It uses the relative intercepts of the face in question with the crystal axes

Crystal Morphology
Given the following crystal:
2-D view looking down c a b a

Crystal Morphology
Given the following crystal:

How reference faces? a face? b face? -a and -b faces?

Crystal Morphology
Suppose we get another crystal of the same mineral with 2 other sets of faces: How do we reference them?
b w x y

a z

Miller Index uses the relative intercepts of the faces with the axes

Pick a reference face that intersects both axes

Which one?
b w x y x b

y a
z

Which one? Either x or y. The choice is arbitrary. Just pick one. Suppose we pick x
b w x y x b

y a
z

MI process is very structured (cook book)

a
unknown face (y) reference face (x) b invert

b 1 1 1 1

c 1 1

1 2 2 1

clear of fractions x

y
(2 1 0)

Miller index of face y using x as the a-b reference face

a

What is the Miller Index of the reference face?

a
unknown face (x) reference face (x) b invert

b 1 1 1 1

c 1 1

1 1 1 1

clear of fractions x
(1 1 0)

1
Miller index of the reference face is always 1 - 1

y
(2 1 0)

What if we pick y as the reference. What is the MI of x? a

unknown face (x) reference face (y) b invert

b 1 1 1 1

c 1 1

2 1 1 2

clear of fractions x
(1 2 0)

2
Miller index of the reference face is always 1 - 1

y
(1 1 0)

3-D Miller Indices (an unusually complex example) a

c

b 2 4

c 2 3

unknown face (XYZ) reference face (ABC)

C

2 1

invert
Z

1 2

4 2

3 2

clear of fractions
A X O Y B a b

(1

3)

Miller index of face XYZ using ABC as the reference face

Miller indices
Always given with 3 numbers
A, b, c axes

Larger the Miller index #, closer to the origin Plane parallel to an axis, intercept is 0

What are the Miller Indices of face Z?

b w

(1 1 0)
(2 1 0) a z

The Miller Indices of face z using x as the reference

a
unknown face (z) reference face (x) b w

b 1 1

c 1 1

1 1 1 1

invert (1 1 0) (2 1 0)
clear of fractions

(1 0 0) a z

Miller index of face z using x (or any face) as the reference face

What do you do with similar faces on opposite sides of crystal?

(1 1 0)

(2 1 0)
(1 0 0) a

b (0 1 0) (1 1 0) (2 1 0) (1 1 0)

(2 1 0)
(1 0 0) a

(1 0 0)

(2 1 0)

(2 1 0) (0 1 0) (1 1 0)

(1 1 0)

 If you dont know exact intercept:

h, k, l are generic notation for undefined intercepts

You can index any crystal face

Crystal habit
The external shape of a crystal
Not unique to the mineral See Fig. 5.2, 5.3, and 5.4

Crystal Form = a set of symmetrically equivalent faces braces indicate a form {210}
b (0 1) (1 1)

(1 1)
(2 1) (1 0) (2 1) (1 1)

(2 1)
(1 0) a

(2 1)
(0 1) (1 1)

Form = a set of symmetrically equivalent faces braces indicate a form {210}

Multiplicity of a form depends on symmetry

Form = a set of symmetrically equivalent faces braces indicate a form {210} What is multiplicity? pinacoid prism pyramid dipryamid

related by a mirror or a 2-fold axis

related by n-fold axis or mirrors

Form = a set of symmetrically equivalent faces braces indicate a form {210}

Quartz = 2 forms: Hexagonal prism (m = 6) Hexagonal dipyramid (m = 12)

Isometric forms include

Cube Octahedron
_ 111 __ 111

111 _ 111

Dodecahedron
101 011

_
110 _ 101 110 _ 011

Crystal forms
Forms can be open or closed
Cube block demo

Forms on stereonets
Cube faces on stereonet

 General form
{hkl} not on, parallel, or perpendicular to any symmetry element

Special form
On, parallel, or perpendicular to any symmetry element

Rectangle block
Find symmetry, plot symmetry, plot special face, general face, determine multiplicity

Space groups
Point symmetry: symmetry about a point
32 point groups, 6 crystal systems

Combine point symmetry with translation, you have space groups

230 possible combinations

Symmetry
Translations (Lattices)
A property at the atomic level, not of crystal shapes Symmetric translations involve repeat distances The origin is arbitrary

1-D translations = a row

a

a is the repeat vector

Symmetry
Translations (Lattices) 2-D translations = a net
b a

Pick any point Every point that is exactly n repeats from that point is an equipoint to the original

Translations
There is a new 2-D symmetry operation when we consider translations The Glide Plane: A combined reflection repeat and translation

Step 2: translate

Step 1: reflect (a temporary position)

 32 point groups with point symmetry 230 space groups adding translation to the point groups

3-D translation
Screw axes: rotation and translation combined