A Novel Approach for Counting Recoil Tracks for Neutron Dosimeter Application

A novel approach is used to minimizing unpredictable background which is often major drawback in the appraisal of low fast neutron fluence with etched track detectors. This method is proposed in counting coincidence tracks in a geometrically matched pair of detectors that are in close contact during the irradiation. The detection of fast neutrons performed with a pair of CR-39 detector foils, subsequent chemical etching and evaluation of the etched tracks by an automatic track counting system was studied. After counting, only tracks produced by the same recoil nuclei in the surface layers of both detector foils were taken into account. In this novel counting approach, the background due to objects that cannot be separated from neutron induced tracks by an automatic counting system was drastically reduced