Alpha particle detection by Makrofol® DE1-1 and CR-39 NTDs: A comparative study

Abstract

In this present study, a color contrast approach was proposed to find a method for quantify uncertainty in alpha particle spectroscopy using nuclear track detectors (NTDs). According to this method, this color contrast approach was applied to NTDs as an alpha particle spectrometer. A comparison between the registration of 4.0 MeV alpha particles by Makrofol®DE1-1 and CR-39 NTDs using a color contrast method was carried out in alpha spectroscopy. The contrast of the alpha tracks of each single color channel whether red, green and blue resulting from split RGB image was determined. The measurements were proved that green color channel produced the highest contrast of the alpha tracks of about 85%, in both Makrofol® DE1-1 and CR-39 NTDs. The results of 4.0 MeV alpha particle etch-pits diameters in Makrofol® DE1-1 didn't show homogenous diameters for short etching time. The standard deviation of 4.0 MeV alpha-track diameters in Makrofol® DE1-1 went up to a maximum value of 2.23 μm at a removal thickness of 12.25 μm. When increasing the etching time, they decreased sharply to about 1.18 ± 0.02 μm at a ratio of change 0.047 that was less than 6%. The standard deviation of 4.0 MeV alpha particle etch-pit diameters in CR-39 detector was linearly correlated with the removal thickness at a ratio of change of 0.02 which was less than 5%. Results revealed that the etch-pit diameter in Makrofol® DE1-1detector, in alpha particle spectrometry was best measured around the end of the alpha particle range. Results of this study are discussed within the frame work of nuclear track formation theories and etching mechanism in nuclear track detectors (NTDs).