Effects of UV irradiation on Fission-fragment track parameters in Makrofol-E detector

Abstract

This study gives information about the effects of UV (here, the wavelength is 160 nm) exposure on the bulk etch rate ([Formula: see text], track etch rate ([Formula: see text], the detector sensitivity ([Formula: see text], critical angle ([Formula: see text] and etching efficiency ([Formula: see text] of Makrofol-E Solid State Nuclear Track Detector. The effect of UV on the activation energy of Makrofol-E was also studied. Nine pieces of Makrofol-E Solid State Nuclear Track Detector were separated into three equal sets as set A, set B and set C. Set A, named as reference set (Fission fragment FF), was irradiated to [Formula: see text]Cf source. Set B, called as post-exposed ([Formula: see text]), was first irradiated to [Formula: see text]Cf and then exposed to UV. The process was reversed for set C named as pre-exposed ([Formula: see text]) at the same conditions. From the results, it is concluded that radiation produces small but significant effect on activation energy [Formula: see text] of bulk etch rate for pre-exposed and post-exposed samples. Also, the activation energies [Formula: see text] of track etch rate for post-exposed and Fission fragment samples are within experimental uncertainty. The energy carried by UV radiation may be responsible for cross networking processes occurring during the exposure which results small change in activation energies for both [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. The [Formula: see text] can be increased by hardening detector material of the pre-exposed detector.