Response of soda glass detectors to accelerated heavy ions for calibration to cosmic ray heavy ions

Abstract

Pre-annealed and pre-etched samples of soda glass detectors have been exposed vertically to 18 40Ar, 26 56Fe, 28 59Ni, 36 84Kr and 54 132Xe ion beams of various energies at the Joint Institute of Nuclear Research (JINR) Dubna (Moscow) U.S.S.R. The exposed samples were etched in the new etchant (HF 48 vol% + H 2SO 4 96 vol% + H 2O in the ratio of 6:1:18 with a small amount of Zn) at 40°C. The variation of etchpit diameter against etching time has been studied and the total etchable range for different heavy ions in this detector has been determined. The energy loss rate and range of the heavy ions in this detector have been computed theoretically. Finally, the response of the detector to the heavy ions and the relationship between the etch rate ratio and the corresponding energy loss rate have been studied.