The non-linear response of the plastic scintillator NE102

Abstract

The response of the plastic scintillator 1) NE102 to cosmic ray particles has been determined during two balloon flights of a double ( dE dx ) E counter telescope from Fort Churchill, Canada in July and August 1966. The results have been fitted to an equation of the form (2). For protons with energies between 36 and 220 MeV, the data give a value of kB = 12.6 ± 2.0 mg/(cm 2·MeV) and C = 0. For alpha particles with energies between 38 and 220 MeV/nucleon, kB = 7.2 ± 1.0 mg/(cm 2·MeV) and C = 0. For carbon and oxygen nuclei with energies near 100 MeV/nucleon, the data are best fitted with kB = 7.9 mg/(cm 2·MeV) and C = −6.6 × 10 −6 mg 2/(cm 2·MeV) 2. These results are compared with measurements made by other workers and the differences in the values of kB for different types of particles are interpreted in terms of the effects of knock-on electrons.