Nuclear track detection by avalanche-type processes: Electrochemical etching, spark and breakdown counter

Abstract

ABSTRACT The spark counter and the electrochemical etching greatly facilitate the counting of damage tracks in insulators. The normal electrochemical etching presents various shortcomings, which can be eliminated by a newly discovered electrochemical etching. The damage track detectors are only capable of storing the information. By contrast, the thin film breakdown counters provide real-time detection. The trait common to all the registration techniques described in this paper is the use of avalanche-type of processes (typically non-shorting electrical breakdown) to simplify the track counting and visualization.