Studies of the mechanism of electrochemical etching in nuclear track detectors

The use of electrochemically etched nuclear track detectors in neutron dosimetry requires the exact knowledge of their response. In certain energy intervals the response can be determined only theoretically on the basis of track formation models. The creation of an electrochemically etched track is initiated by an electric breakdown in the detector material at the site of a chemically preetched conical track. For this a sufficient amplification of the electric field strength at the track tip is necessary dependent on the track tip radius and the track length. In order to determine these parameters studies of the track profiles and etch rates were carried out. Then criteria for the formation of electrochemically etched tracks can be derived which allow to calculate the response of nuclear track detectors. (orig.)