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Charge and Energy Information from Heavy Ion Tracks in ‘Lexan’

Abstract

ENERGETIC heavy ions (Z6, E>10 MeV/a.m.u.) can be identified with high resolution by measurements of etched tracks in ‘Lexan’ and other plastic detectors1. Much of our knowledge of trans-iron nuclei in the cosmic radiation has come from studies of etched plastics2, and important advances are being made in our understanding of energetic solar particles with plastic detectors3,4. Here we describe a new technique that permits heavy ions of extremely low energy to be identified, thus extending the scope of plastic particle identifiers to include nuclear chemistry as well as making possible the study of low energy interplanetary particles.

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References

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STERN, R., PRICE, P. Charge and Energy Information from Heavy Ion Tracks in ‘Lexan’. Nature Physical Science 240, 82–83 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1038/physci240082a0

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