UVC irradiation of alpha particles tracks and empirical equation of bulk etch rate in CR-39 detector

The first empirical equation is presented in this paper to characterize the behavior of the bulk etch rate (Vb) with the UVC dose. The Vb value increased nonlinearly with UVC irradiation during the initial dose of up to 13 J, then remained almost constant with prolonged UVC doses from 13 to 45 J. The alpha track depths in CR-39 were analyzed with UVC irradiation (lambda = 254 nm). Samples exposed to UVC radiation achieved the maximum track depth with a shorter etching time than samples not exposed to UVC radiation. The Vt values increased significantly for samples exposed to UVC up to 7.1, 7.0, and 6.9 mu m/h, respectively, at alpha energies of 2.5, 3.5, and 4.5 MeV. While the etch rate ratio decreased for the same samples.