PARTICLE IDENTIFICATION FROM TRACK-ETCH RATES IN MINERALS

A method of charge identification from etched tracks in minerals is presented which utilizes etch-rate measurements as a function of particle range, as is commonly done in plastic track detectors. Sucha method could have considerable application in cosmic ray studies in meteoritic minerals, and also possibly in nuclear reaction studies. Calibration of the track-etch rate to primary ionization is effected externally by accelerator irradiations, the information on track-etch velocity as a function of residual range [Vt(R)] being obtained in a number of ways. Fitting of a response curve for various values of the constant K allows an optimum value of this parameter to be found; and by using this value, fitted Vt(R) profiles can be built up, which lead to charge identification. It is found that Ca and Ti track-etch rates are not compatible with data from heavier nuclei. This fact may throw some light on the nature of the track-formation process. © 1978.