Calculation of the stopping power and the path of charged particles in matter. Application example

The path of a charged particle in matter is calculated by integrating the stopping power of the medium against this particle. Depending on the energy of the particle, stopping powers are calculated using Lindhard, Bethe, or semi-empirical smoothing solutions. After exposing recent theories in this field, the authors present a Fortran subroutine which performs these various operations, and covers all energy domains. This routine is available for operation on IBM 360; it uses a magnetic tape library that can take into account experimental results. The subprogram presentation, leaving the user the option of entering the data and using the results at his discretion, allows a particularly flexible use. At the end of this note, some considerations on possible further improvements in the program, and a bibliography of the articles that have dealt with the question from a theoretical or an experimental point of view are discussed