PET: A High Threshold Nuclear Track Detector (NTD) for Rare Event Search

Abstract

Search for rare events like strangelets or monopoles in cosmic rays or in particle accelerators is an active field of research. Nuclear Track Detectors (NTDs) are often the detectors of choice in such searches owing to their natural thresholds of registration which can suppress large parts or even the entirety of the background. A low-cost commercially available polymer in wide use as a packaging and bottling material, identified as Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), was found to very effective as a NTD with detection threshold much higher than many other NTDs in wide use like CR-39, Lexan. Systematic studies were carried out to characterize and calibrate PET using ion beams from accelerators. In addition, pilot studies were carried out at various high-altitude locations where PET films were given open-air exposures. In this article, some of the results of those studies will be presented.