Comparison of Particle Tracks Calculated by Monte Carlo Computer Codes with Experimental Tracks Observed with the Harwell Low Pressure Cloud Chamber

Abstract

Abstract Photographs of the droplets associated with the ionisations caused by charged particle tracks in the Harwell low pressure cloud chamber have been analysed. The radiation types these represent are alpha particles, protons and low energy X rays (carbon and aluminium) in either tissue-equivalent gas or water vapour. The tracks were used to test the validity of two Monte Carlo codes developed by Wilson and Paretzke, namely MOCA14 for the generation of proton and alpha particle tracks, and MOCA8 for the generation of electron tracks. The comparisons showed that the code MOCA14 would appear to be valid for protons with energies greater than about 390 keV, and for alpha particles with energies greater than 1.6 MeV. No disagreement was found between the low energy X ray tracks from the cloud chamber and the tracks calculated from MOCA8, although this comparison was severely limited by droplet diffusion.