Possible
thesis/dissertation topics:
Surface structural controls on trace element incorporation into minerals
during growth.
Crystal
chemistry of the lanthanides and actinides in apatite group minerals.
Mechanics
and kinetics of crystal growth from aqueous solutions.
Trace
metal cycling in the lakes of the dry valleys, Antarctica.
Current/recent
graduate student research:
Olaf Borkiewicz (Ph.D. in progress) The role of precursor formation on
actinide sequestration and retention in low temperature growth of apatite.
Yun Luo
(Ph.D. in progress) Crystal Chemistry of U and Th in apatite.
Frederick
Partey (M.S. 2004) Origin of fluorine and fluorite mineralization in the
Rio Grande Rift system.
Carrie Wright (M.S. 2003) Spectroscopic investigation of the coupling
of REEs and defect centers in fluorite and the origin of color.
Art Losey
(M.S. 2002) Structural variation in the lithiophilite-tryphilite series
and characterization of light element (Li, Be, and B) mineral standards.
Selected
publications:
Krekeler, K., Hammerly, E., Rakovan, J. and Guggenheim, S. (2005) Microscopy
Studies of the Palygorskite to Smectite Transformation. Clay and Clay
Minerals, 53, 92-99.
Losey,
A., Rakovan, J., Hughes, J.M., Francis, C.A. and Dyar, M.D. (2004) Structural
variation in the lithiophilite-tryphylite series and other olivine-group
structures. Canadian Mineralogist, 42, 1105-1115.
Meng,
Y., Newville, M., Sutton, S., Rakovan, J. and Mao, H.K. (2003) Fe and
Ni impurities in synthetic diamond. American Mineralogist, 88, 1555-1559.
Rakovan,
J. (2002) Growth and surface structure of apatite. In: Phosphates: Geochemical,
Geobiological and materials importance, Kohn, M., Rakovan, J. and Hughes,
J. (eds): Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry, Mineralogical Society
of America, Washington, D.C.
Rakovan, J., Reeder, R.J., Elzinga, E.J., Cherniak, D., Tait, C.D. and
Morris, D.E. (2002) Characterization of U(VI) in the apatite structure
by X-ray absorption and spectroscopy: Environmental Science and Technology,
36, 3114-3117.
Selected
grants:
National Science Foundation 2004 (with Hughes and Cahill, C.)
Crystal chemistry of U, Th and other Radionuclides in Apatite: Environmental
and Geochemical Implications.
National
Science Foundation 2003 (with Dong, Pacey and Edelmann)
Acquisition of a Scanning Electron Microscope for Nanotechnology Investigations.
National
Science Foundation 2000 (with Hughes)
Acquisition of a CCD-detector Single Crystal X-ray Diffractometer.
Teaching
Interests:
GLG 111
- The Dynamic Earth - click here
for a complete description.
GLG 201 - Mineralogy - click here
for a complete description.
GLG 280D - Gems & Gem Mineral Formation - click here
for a complete description.
GLG 430/530 - Mineral-Water Interface Geochemistry - click here
for a complete description.
GLG 432/532 - Clay and Clay Mineralogy - click here
for a complete description.
For
more information please visit Dr. Rakovan's personal
web page.
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