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Vivascience is producing all kinds of supports with R.I. 1.35 (@500nm as
far as I recall)
http://www.vivascience.com/en/cell_products

--

Dr. Jens Rietdorf
EMBL, Meyerhofstr.1,
D-69117 Heidelberg,
Cell Biology/Biophysics Program,
Advanced Light Microscopy Facility
Phone ++49(0)6221 387-467 FAX-306
http://www.embl-heidelberg.de/~rietdorf/index.html
http://www.embl-heidelberg.de/ExternalInfo/almf/htdocs/almf_website/index.html


Jeremy Adler schrieb:

>Search the CONFOCAL archive at
>http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal
>
>It might be possible to make coverslips with an RI close to that of water, at least the mineral cryolite has a
>suitable RI and transmission characteristics - see below.
>
>Jeremy Adler
>NIMR
>London
>
>
>
>I came across a reference to a mineral called cryolite from Greenland in
>Oliver Sack's book 'Uncle Tungsten'.  The interest is that the
>refractive index of the mineral appeared to be close to that of water -
>I work in microsopy a slide/coverslip of this refractive index would be of use.
>Jeremy Adler
>Nat Inst Med Res, Mill Hill
>
>Thanks for your mineral enquiry, forwarded to me by our office.
>The mineral cryolite is a naturally occurring fluoride of aluminium and
>sodium, Na3AlF6. It is comparatively soft (2.5 on Mohs scale) with a
>specific gravity of 2.97. It occurs most commonly in a massive form rather
>than crystalline, although monoclinic prismatic crystals have been
>described. It forms naturally in association with pegmatite veins close to
>granite intrusions, although is now produced commercially as a synthetic
>mineral for use in the manufacture of aluminium, white glass and sodium salts.
>I'm not sure if this answers your question, but please let me know if you
>need any further information.
>Regards
>Chris G. Jones
>
>thanks for the quick response, it would be useful to know if there is a
>measured refractive index for cryolite, rather than the relatively vague statement
>in the book that it disappears in water.
>
>Figures I can find state 1.33 at 500nm and 1.35 at 550nm, with a
>transmission range of 250 - 14,000 nm.
>
>Chris
>
>At 15:39 30/10/03 +0000, you wrote:
>
>
>
>