Abstract
The counting of Solid State Nuclear Track Detectors (SSNTD) used as alpha particle detectors is made quick and easy through a computer-assisted counting program. The software was developed at the Technical University of Denmark. The use of this computer-assisted counting program allows the area of the field of view to be increased from the area viewed using an optical microscope (typically 0.0048 cm2). By comparing the track density to the field of view area, a linear relationship was determined to exist until the area exceeded 0. 18 cm2. A comparison of the track density for an area of 0. 18 cm2 between SSNTD counted manually via an optical microscope and counted automatically using the computer-assisted method revealed that the computer-assisted method recorded a truck density of one-half of the manual counted method. Although the recorded track density was less, the number of tracks viewed increased by a factor of 20. This larger track count provides better statistical measurement. Since the recorded track density varied so widely, a new calibration constant for the system and for the LR 115 11 Kodak films was determined to be 0.787 track cm-2 / kBq-hr M-3.
Buxkemper, Mark Anthony (1995). Maximizing the field of view for a computer-assisted alpha track counting system. Master's thesis, Texas A&M University. Available electronically from
https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -1995 -THESIS -B89.