Calibration of Homalite CR-39 plastic track detector for light particle spectrometry and its application in studying the (n,α) and (n,p) reaction on 51V

The CR-39 (Homalite) plastic track detector has been calibrated for alpha particles and protons having a wide energy range. These experiments were performed under various pre-set etching conditions with a view to use the information for identifying different groups of light reaction products. The calibration curves so obtained have been employed in studying the 51V (n, p) and 51V (n, α) reactions for 14.7 MeV neutrons. The analysis of alpha particle spectra using the statistical theory yielded values of (a) level density, a=7.4+-0.4 MeV-1, and (b) nuclear temperature, T=1.3+-0.2 MeV for 48Sc. (orig.)