LINEAR-ENERGY-TRANSFER SPECTRA OF SECONDARY PARTICLES IN CR-39 TRACK ETCH DETECTORS

High energy protons, photons or neutrons are not able to directly form a track in a solid state nuclear track detector (SSNTD). Such detecto rs can, however, be used for detection and dosimetry in the fields and beams of these radiations, through registration of the secondary char ged particles with sufficiently high values of linear energy transfer (LET). Analysis of track parameters of these secondary particles allow s for the assessment of their LET spectra, and from these additional d osimetric information can be deduced. The method of how to assess LET spectra by means of a chemically etched CR-39 SSNTD is described. LET spectra of secondary particles created through the photon (E(max) simi lar to 50 MeV) and high energy (E(p) = 100, 160 and 238 MeV) are prese nted and are compared with the same spectra established in the detecto rs irradiated with Cf-252 neutrons. Reasonable agreement with some ind ependently available data is found. The LET spectra obtained also perm it deduction of some of the dosimetric characteristics related to thes e secondary particles. The values of these dosimetric characteristics are presented and discussed. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd