Polarising Microscope
Definition
Compound microscope fitted with a polariser below and an analyser above the stage. Used to study birefringent materials like fibres, minerals and crystalline drugs.
Related terms
- Comparison Microscope
- Two compound microscope bodies connected by an optical bridge that presents one half of each body's image in a single split eyepiece...
- Depth of Field
- Axial thickness of the specimen that appears acceptably in focus at one time. High in stereoscopic microscopes, very low in oil-immersion compound...
- EDX / EDXRF
- Energy-dispersive X-ray detector attached to an SEM. Identifies elements from characteristic X-rays emitted when the beam strikes the sample. Backbone of GSR...
- Fluorescence Microscope
- Uses UV or short-wavelength excitation to make fluorophores emit longer-wavelength light. Used for semen, saliva, fibres and ink discrimination.
- Numerical Aperture (NA)
- The product of the refractive index of the medium between objective and specimen and the sine of the half-angle of the maximum...
- Resolution
- The ability of a mass analyser to distinguish two ions of nearly equal m/z, defined as m/Δm at a given peak. A...
- SEM
- Scanning electron microscope. Focused electron beam raster-scans the sample surface; resolution down to a few nanometres with great depth of field. Paired...
- Stereoscopic Microscope
- Two separate light paths producing a true 3D image at low magnification (typically 7x to 40x). Used for trace recovery, gross examination...
- TEM
- Transmission electron microscope. Electrons pass through an ultra-thin section; resolution below 1 nm. Rare in routine forensic casework, common in research.
Explained in
- Microscopy for Forensic Science: Polarizing, Comparison, Stereoscopic, Fluorescent and ElectronCompound microscope fitted with a polariser below and an analyser above the stage. Used to study birefringent materials like fibres, minerals and crystalline d...