Evaluation of the sensitivity function V for registration of α-particles in PADC CR-39 solid state nuclear track detector material

The sensitivity function V is assumed to be independent of the real etching conditions and therefore convenient for generalising the complex track formation process. In the present paper commonly used V functions will be compared with new experimental data of bulk and track etch rates vB and vT respectively to check the more or less correct description of the experimental situation. Whereas the bulk etch rate has been measured by the fission fragment method, the track etch rate was obtained by a direct method of track length measurements in dependence on a-particle's energy and etching time. Further, the experimental data have been analysed in terms of more sophisticated models for parameterisation of the V function. These models were successfully applied in description of the experimental data set and are recommended for use in theoretical calculation of the revealing process of a-particle tracks in CR-39.