This work presents a new technique for discriminating between alpha particles of different energy levels. In a first study, two groups of alpha particles emitted from radium-226 and americium-241 sources were successfully separated using a CR-39 microfilm of appropriate thickness. This thickness was adjusted by chemical etching before and after irradiation so that lower-energy particles were stopped within the detector, while higher-energy particles were revealed on the back side of the detector. | Application of CR-39 microfilm for rapid discrimination between alpha particle sources N u c l e a r E n g i n e e r i n g a n d T e c h n o l o g y 4 9 ( 2 0 1 7 ) 8 8 1 e8 8 5 Available online at ScienceDirect Nuclear Engineering and Technology journal homepage: Technical Note Application of CR-39 Microfilm for Rapid Discrimination Between Alpha-Particle Sources Nidal Dwaikat* and Anan M. Al-Karmi* Department of Physics, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia article info abstract Article history: This work presents a new technique for discriminating between alpha particles of different Received 24 August 2016 energy levels. In a first study, two groups of alpha particles emitted from radium-226 and Received in revised form americium-241 sources were successfully separated using a CR-39 microfilm of appropriate 13 October 2016 thickness. This thickness was adjusted by chemical etching before and after irradiation so Accepted 5 December 2016 that lower-energy particles were stopped within the detector, while higher-energy particles Available online 6 January 2017 were revealed on the back side of the detector. The number of tracks on the front side of the microfilm represented all alpha particles incident on that side from the two sources. Keywords: However, the number of tracks on the back side of the microfilm represented only the long- Alpha-particle Spectroscopy range alpha particles of higher energy that arrived at that side. Therefore, by subtracting CR-39 Microfilm the number of tracks on the back side from the number of tracks on the front side, one Detector Thickness could easily determine the number of tracks for the short-range alpha particles of lower Solid-state Nuclear Track energy that remained embedded in the microfilm. Discrimination of the two energy levels Detectors is thus achieved in a simple, fast, and reliable .
