UNIVERSITY OF BUCHAREST
FACULTY OF PHYSICS

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2024-11-23 17:43
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Conference: Bucharest University Faculty of Physics 2016 Meeting


Section: Nuclear and Elementary Particles Physics


Title:
Studies of the response of plastic nuclear track detectors to protons and alpha particles in nuclear reactions induced by cosmic muons


Authors:
Ana CHIRIACESCU (1), I. LAZANU (1), Marcela SOCOL (2), Carmen BREAZU (2), Sorina LAZANU (2)


Affiliation:
1) University of Bucharest, Faculty of Physics, POBox MG-7, Bucharest-Magurele, Romania

(2) National Institute of Materials Physics, Str. Atomistilor 405b, Magurele Ilfov, 077125, Romania





(2) National Institute of Materials Physics, Str. Atomistilor 405b, Magurele Ilfov, 077125, Romania




E-mail
ionel.lazanu@g.unibuc.ro


Keywords:
muon capture reaction, nuclear track detectors, AFM, spike model


Abstract:
Atmospheric muons represent an important part of the natural radiation at ground and underground level. Capture of the negative muons by atomic nuclei when they are quasi stopped in matter is a very important process for low energy muons. In this mechanism, heavy recoiling nuclei are released with a simultaneous emission of light particles (neutrons, protons, deuterons, alpha particles, etc.). Thus, it is at the origin of one important component of the radioactive background. In the present work, we focus on the analysis of the possibility of detection of some products obtained by this mechanism using nuclear track detectors produced by Track Analysis Systems Ltd, UK. The samples were exposed to cosmic radiation for 120 days, and then they were etched in NaOH solution of 6.25N concentration, at 700 C, continuously stirred. The tracks were visualized by using an optical microscope and the images were recorded using the digital camera Optika KAM B1. Micro-track structures were analyzed using atomic force microscopy. There are many unknown factors related to the mechanisms of the latent track formation in solid targets, e.g. the relation between the characteristics of incident particles and the corresponding latent track. Some aspects are discussed in the present contribution.