PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF MATERIALS, METHODOLOGY AND INSTRUMENTATION IN PARTICLE TRACKS IN SOLIDS

In this presentation I would like to give a brief review of the development of materials, methods and instrumentation in the topic of Solid State Nuclear Track Detection, nowadays referred to with the more general term of Particle Tracks in Solids (PTS). We all are convinced of the advantages, good characteristics and qualities of this method, that has served for establishing a number of procedures in several areas such as Enviromental and Personal Dosimetry, Radon Research, Geology, Nuclear Physics, etc. Nevertheless, we have to be conscious of its disadvantages and limitations and above all, the future developments, taking into account all aspects, ranging from track formation models to etching and reading procedures. Above all, I want to emphasize the importance of doing research in new materials with improved properties, area in which the whole community has to make a great effort. The other important challenge refers to instrumentation, mainly that concerned to the reading systems, if standard procedures for measurement and evaluation of particle tracks in solids are to be established.