Calibration of CR39 detectors with new system for Fe26+ ion beam and measurement of total charge changing cross-section in Al target

In the present study, CR39 track etch detector was calibrated with a new system and the total charge changing cross-section of 300 A MeV Fe26+ ion beam in aluminum target was measured. The CR39 nuclear track detectors were used to identify the incident charged particles and their fragments using an optical microscope DM6000 M and automated image analyzer system installed with Leica QWin Plus software. The CR39 detectors before and after the target were calibrated and found to have the same charge response; the charge resolution in both of the detectors were 0.19e and 0.20e, respectively. The calibration points were fitted with a polynomial of degree one and all the points are within the limits of the experimental errors. The response functions were also obtained and fitted with a polynomial of degree three which are quite good throughout Z/β = 4.6 to 41.4. The value of the total charge changing cross-section is σtot = (1663 ± 236) mb. The total charge changing cross-section was compared with the experimental results of others and also fitted by the Bradt-Peters geometrical cross-section.

► A new system of optical microscope DM6000 M with Leica QWin Plus software was used in the present measurement.
► New features of Leica QWin Plus were explored to achieve a higher accuracy.
► Better charge resolution and improved threshold were achieved in the present measurements.
► The calibration curves of CR39 detectors were obtained and fitted with first degree polynomial.
► The total charge changing cross-section of 300 A MeV Fe26+ ion beam in aluminum target was measured.