Plastic track detectors for identifying cosmic rays

Abstract

Experiments have been carried out on the use of dielectric track detectors for the identification of particles of different masses. Five different plastics of widely differing sensitivities have been used. Experiments were carried out using the Yale Heavy Ion Accelerator with various ions from 0 to 10.3 MeV/N. The results indicate that it should be possible to use this technique to measure relative abundances over a wide range of mass values, where the particles are of such an energy that they are stopped in the pack of plastic sheets.