The restricted energy loss criterion for registration of charged particles in plastics

Abstract

It was found that the restricted energy loss rate of charged particles can be used as a convenient criterion to predict the formation or non-formation of etchable tracks in plastics. The criterion allows sensitivity assignments, in absolute units, to each of the polymeric detectors. An experimentally determined parameter indicates that only electron energy transfer collisions of about 1.0 keV and less are important in track formation. The criterion is consistent with the known experimental observations of charged particle registration in plastics. It is proposed that latent (etchable) tracks are formed when the energy density (dose) in the immediate vicinity of the particle trajectory exceeds a critical value that is characteristic of the particular detecting material and the specific etching conditions. © 1969.