Nuclear track research activities at GSI

At GSI the following nuclear track applications are explored using heavy ions with 18 < approx. Z <= 92 in the specific energy range between 0.01 and 10 MeV/amu. (1) Nuclear track filters, their multiple hole areal dispersion and effective porosity. (2) Single hole membranes for particle counting and measurement of biomembrane plasticity. (3) Influence on domain wall coercivity of magneto-optic iron garnets for use in computer memories and displays. (4) Anisotropic etch rate enhancement for in-depth surface micromachining of dielectric materials. (5) Heavy ion lithography for quantitative determination of projected areal density distributions of micro-objects. (6) Replica techniques leading to the possibility of microcomposite materials with predetermined fiber axes. (7) Photosensitive glass, a technical track material with high mechanical, chemical, and temperature strength. (orig.)