The identification of growth lines in abalone shell using a nuclear microprobe

Abstract

Ionoluminescence (IL) combined with particle induced X-ray emission (PIXE) imaging has been employed to identify intrinsic growth bands in the spire region, and extrinsic bands at the growth edge of Australian Black-lip abalone shell (Haliotis rubra). Previous studies using optical flood cathodoluminescence, scanning electron microscope cathodoluminescence (SEM-CL) and Raman spectroscopy on samples from the same population suggest that the visible luminescence is due to Mn2+ activated calcium carbonate. In this study we confirm Mn2+ as the activator in both the spire and growth edge regions of the shell. The sensitivity of ionoluminescence to the co-ordination environment of the Mn2+ activat..