Track etch parameters and annealing kinetics assessment of protons of low energy in CR-39 detector

Highlights: ► We calibrate CR-39 detector with very low energy protons. ► We establish linear relationship between track diameter and time/energy up to 200 keV. ► We determine activation energy of annealing using different models. ► We justify concept of single annealing activation energy in CR-39. - Abstract: In this paper threshold of the registration sensitivity of very low energy proton in CR-39 is investigated. Irradiation of CR-39 (poly-allyl-diglycol carbonate) was carried out with very low energy mono energetic protons of 20–60 keV from a mini proton accelerator. Nearly 104/cm2 fluence of protons was used. The variation of track diameter with etching time as well as proton energy response curve was carefully calibrated. The bulk and track etch rates were measured by using proton track diameters. Bulk etch rate was also measured by the thickness of removed surface layer. The thermal annealing of proton track at temperatures ranging from 100 to 200 °C in CR-39 was studied by several models. Activation energy of annealed CR-39 detectors was calculated by slope of track etch rate and temperature plot. The data of proton tracks of 200, 250 and 300 keV from 400 kV Van-de-Graaff accelerator was also used and compared with the track diameters of different energies of proton.