Luminescent properties of natural barite: Evidence for its genesis

The study of radiation of intrinsic and impurity excitations in natural barite showed that the patterns of BaSO 4 luminescence were mostly controlled by the presence of the [SO 4 ] anion complex. Several types of self-radiation were registered including those at the expense of the presence of O 2– ions of the axial and nonaxial configurations of the anionic group (emission bands within the wavelength ranges of 209–213 and 330–350 nm, respectively). Exitons located near the impurity and intrinsic defects largely participate in emission. Impurity defects participating in the luminescent centers of barite from the Ore Altai include Pb 2+ , Gd 3+ , Eu 2+ , Eu 3+ , Cu + , and Ag + (under X-ray excitation). Variations in the spectral composition of barite indicate the different conditions of its formation.