The In-Situ Quantification of Structural Radiation Damage in Zircon Using Laser-Induced Confocal Photoluminescence Spectroscopy.

We present a new methodology for laser-induced steady-state photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy of Dy3+ that aims at a direct quantification of the amorphous fraction f a present in zircon (ZrSiO4), which undergoes a transition from a crystalline to a metamict state due to cumulative self-irradiation damage caused by the radioactive decay of substituted U and Th. Using state-of-the-art confocal spectrometers attached to optical microscopes, measurements may be performed non-destructively on the micrometre length-scale with the option to visualize radiation-damage patterns as revealed by hyperspectral PL maps. Zircon from the Ratnapura district (Sri Lanka, ~520 Ma), was used as reference material to substantiate the applicability of the proposed method. The accumulation of radiation damage in this material was investigated in detail and obtained f a values correlate with calculated ff-doses in accordance to the direct impact model reported variously in the literature. The impact of chemically-induced, heterogeneous broadening of Raman and Dy3+ emission spectral bands is discussed on two examples from Mt. Malosa district, Malawi. A mean weighted U-Pb isotope age of 111 ± 1 Ma (pegmatitic-type) and a discordia age of 112 ± 1.6 Ma (hydrothermal-type) as obtained by LA-ICP-MS confirm their close genetic and temporal relationship. Studied zircon examples demonstrate that the amount of radiation damage present may have a substantial effect on the precision of LA-ICP-MS ages, but cannot be considered an exclusive cause for bias of obtained isotope ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]