STUDIES ON THE VARIATION OF THE TRACK ETCH RATE ALONG ALPHA-PARTICLE TRAJECTORIES IN CR-39

At the beginning of the etching process a constant track etch rate can be assumed. In deeper detector layers, however, the etch rate varies drastically along the particle trajectories. Consequently, the indirec t determination of the track etch rate by measuring the etch pit diame ters on the detector surface does not yield correct results. Therefore , a method for the direct measurement of the track etch rate as a func tion of the depth within the detector was developed. Applying this met hod, the relationship between the track etch rate and the energy loss in CR-39/PATRAS could be derived.