Detection of 238U ions using a Triafol plastic track detector

Abstract

Triafol plastic track detectors have been exposed to 238U ions of energy 17.17 MeV u-1 at UNILAC, GSI, Darmstadt. The bulk etch rate VG, the track etch rate VT and the sensitivity of the track detector VT/VG are measured for different etchant temperatures and ion energies. The various activation energies used in fitting the Arrhenius equations are also calculated. The maximum etched track lengths of the 238 U ions have been experimentally measured. Surface etching and overetching corrections have been applied to the observed track lengths in order to obtain the true track lengths which have been reported for different etching times and incident-ion energies. These results have been compared with the theoretical energy range calculations; they are found to conform to them reasonably well.