Effects of ECE duration on alpha particle tracks in polycarbonate nuclear track detectors over broad ranges of fluence and energy

The effects of electrochemical etching (ECE) duration on alpha particle detection efficiency in polycarbonate nuclear track detectors over broad ranges of fluence and energy were studied in this paper. This is of particular importance when efficient detection of charged particle tracks with densities > 106 tracks/cm2 in particular in plasma focus devices is of concern. However, at high track densities, tracks overlap and make track density and diameter determination especially at low alpha particle energies rather difficult and inaccurate, if not impossible. Accordingly, track density and mean track diameter to obtain alpha particle detection efficiency were studied in 500 μm thick detectors exposed to alpha particle fluences up to ~1.0 × 107 alphas/cm2 at defined alpha energies from ~0.3 to ~3.0 MeV for ECE durations from 0.5 to 6.0 hours. Microphotographs of alpha particles at different conditions applied are also reported in order to assist researchers in better understanding the morphology of tracks in order to apply optimum conditions for specific applications of concern.