Study of the Sensitivity Limit of Detection of α-Particles by Polymer Film Detectors LR-115 Type 2 Using X-ray Diffraction and UV-Vis Spectroscopic Methods

This work is devoted to the applicability assessment of optical spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction methods to establish the lower detection limit for the density of latent tracks from α-particles in polymer nuclear-track detectors, in the case of simulation of the formation of radon decay daughter products using Am-241 sources. During the studies, the detection limit for the density of latent tracks—traces of the interaction of α-particles with the molecular structure of film detectors—was established using optical UV spectroscopy (10(4) track/cm(2)) and X-ray diffraction (10(4) track/cm(2)). At the same time, analysis of the connection between structural and optical changes in polymer films indicates that a growth in the density of latent tracks above 10(6)–10(7) results into the formation of an anisotropic change in the electron density associated with distortions in the molecular structure of the polymer. An analysis of the parameters of diffraction reflections (the position and width of the diffraction maximum) showed that in the range of latent track densities of 10(4)–10(8) track/cm(2), the main changes in these values are associated with deformation distortions and stresses caused by ionization processes during the interaction of incident particles with the molecular structure of the polymer. The increase in optical density, in turn, is caused by the accumulation of structurally changed regions (latent tracks) in the polymer as the irradiation density increases. A general analysis of the obtained data showed good agreement between the optical and structural characteristics of the films depending on the irradiation density.