Energy loss straggling of (0.5 < Ep < 2.0) MeV protons in formvar

Energy loss distributions for (0.5 < Ep < 2.0) MeV protons traversing polyvinyl formal have been measured in transmission. Then, they have been analyzed in order to determine energy loss straggling variance data. For avoiding non-stochastic broadenings and single collision events, only energy loss fractions within the range 2%⩽ΔEE⩽20% have been considered. The inferred energy loss straggling data are compared to values derived by several theories of the collisional energy straggling and by Yang et al. empirical formula with assuming the validity of the Bragg-Kleeman additivity rule for compounds in all the performed calculations. The obtained results are discussed with distinguishing two projectile velocity regimes delimited by the proton energy Ep ∼ 1.2 MeV. Over the high proton velocity regime, our data are in very consistent with the classical Bohr theory and the Yang et al. empirical formula predicting constant collisional energy loss straggling. It clearly appears that over the low proton velocity regime, our energy loss straggling data are in best overall quantitative agreement with values predicted by the Sigmund-Schinner binary collision stopping theory (the BCAS) involving both the shell and Barkas-Anderson corrections. Besides, the slight low energy-dependent behavior of experimental data shows to be consistent with the predictions of the Bethe-Livingston theory and the Yang et al. empirical formula.