GEOMETRY OF ETCHED CHARGED-PARTICLE TRACKS IN CRYSTALLINE DETECTORS

Studies on the shape of etched fission tracks in crystalline detectors show that the track geometry carries valuable information on the crys tal structure of the detector involved. The geometry of the etched tra cks in crystalline detectors is a prism formed of certain crystal plan es. In mica detectors, for given etching conditions the type and numbe r of the planes depend on the incident angle and the extent of the rad iation damage along the track. In a single track the type of crystal p lanes forming the track prism may change along the track resulting in dramatic variations of the track geometry at certain depth of focus.