Characterization of ion tracks in CR39 polymer exposed to Am-241-particles

0496763 - ÚJF 2019 RIV GB eng J - Journal Article
Cannavó, Antonino - Lavrentiev, Vasyl - Lavrentieva, Inna - Torrisi, L. - Horák, Pavel - Ceccio, Giovanni - Vacík, Jiří
Characterization of ion tracks in CR39 polymer exposed to Am-241-particles.
Radiation Effects and Defects in Solids. Roč. 173, 9-10 (2018), s. 807-817. ISSN 1042-0150. E-ISSN 1029-4953.
[14th Workshop on European Collaboration for Higher Education and Research in Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Protection (CHERNE). Macugnaga, 29.05.2018-01.06.2018]
R&D Projects: GA ČR GA18-07619S; GA MŠMT LM2015056
Institutional support: RVO:61389005
Keywords : PADC detector * AFM analysis * -particles spectroscopy
OECD category: Nuclear physics
Impact factor: 0.636, year: 2018

The CR39 polymer (poly-allyl-diglycol carbonate) is considered as a valuable instrument to register various charged particles. In the current experiment, the CR39 material was tested whether it can identify and distinguish -particles with different energy. For the purpose of the experiment, the CR39 foils were irradiated by -particles from a thin Am-241 source. Energy of the emitted -particles was changed in the range from 3.5 to 5.5MeV by varying the pressure in the vacuum chamber. The changes in the -particles beam were monitored by a silicon detector and verified by SRIM simulations. The irradiated CR39 foils were etched in NaOH and analyzed by conventional optical microscopy (OM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The techniques were applied for analysis of the etched tracks - their outer diameters (OM and AFM) and depths (AFM). The combined application of these techniques allowed us to evaluate a clear correlation between the geometric parameters of the etched tracks and energy of the MeV -particles, demonstrating that these techniques are a convenient tool for recognition of charged particles and certain identification of their energy.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0289406