A more suitable etching condition to register low energy proton tracks in CR39 for neutron dosimetry

Abstract

The response of CR39 track detectors to protons in the energy range below 1.2 MeV has been studied for varying conditions of chemical etching. The sensitivity function V = V T V G has been found by etching the detectors in 6N, 6.5N and 7N aqueous solutions of NaOH and KOH at 55 ° to 75 ° C. This study shows that 6.5N solutions of NaOH and KOH mixed in a (1:2) ratio give the optimum etching condition at 60 ° C for registration of protons in the energy range considered. The same optimum conditions are found to hold for different batches and makes of CR39. The bulk-etch rate V G depends on the measurement technique and the best results are obtained by V G calculation from the diameter of 252Cf fission fragment tracks.