Conductivity of irradiated Kapton in relation to energy loss of ions and electrons

Abstract

We have studied the effects of 2.5 MeV electron irradiation and ion (C, N, F, Si and Kr) bombardment on the electrical conductivity of a polyimide (Kapton-H) with ion energies ranging between 320 keV (N) and 1.25 GeV (Kr). In this wide range of situations we have tried to sort out the respective effects of nuclear and electronic excitation energy losses.

For all ion irradiation the conductivity is found to scale with the electronic excitation absorbed dose: i.e. a power law of conductivity versus absorbed dose with an exponent around 9 is observed. At a given absorbed dose (in Gray units) the efficiency of each ion to enhance conductivity is found to be proportional to the electronic energy loss; electrons are much less efficient than ions and thus collective excitations are required to achieve this process.

The nuclear energy loss can perhaps play some role at conductivities higher than 100 Ω^?1 m^?1, but its effects are negligible in the range explored here.     

An experimental study of the relative response of plastic scintillators to photons and beta particles

A scintillation counting system has been constructed with the use of BC-400 and EJ-212 series plastic scintillators along with a subminiature photomultiplier tube to investigate the effect of increasing plastic scintillator thickness on system-integrated counts. Measurements have been carried out using four different gamma sources with different energies ranging from 6 keV to 1.332 MeV and a Ni-63 beta source with a maximum energy of 66 keV. Scintillator thicknesses ranged from 10 μm to 2500 μm. The response of the system was determined by measuring the integrated counts as a function of scintillator thickness. These experimental findings were used to empirically determine the optimum thickness of scintillator material with which to build a low energy beta detector which discriminates against high energy gamma photons in a mixed radiation field environment.     

Muon-spin-rotation study of muon polarization losses in plastic scintillators and quartz

Muon polarization losses in plastic scintillators of two types and in fused quartz have been studied by the μSR method. The muon and muonium spin precession spectra have been measured on the μSR setup placed at the output of the muon channel of the Gatchina synchrocyclotron. It has been shown that a significant fraction of stopped muons participate in the formation of the muonium. As a result, these muons lose their polarization completely. The magnitude of muon depolarization depends considerably on the type of plastic. It has been found that the muon spin precession frequency in fused quartz in an external magnetic field (F _{Q, μ} = 0.116 ± 0.002 MHz) is shifted with respect to that in plastic scintillators (F _{1, μ} = 0.101 ± 0.005 MHz and F _{2, μ} = 0.101 ± 0.002 MHz).     

Wave packet approach to lattice electrons in external galvanomagnetic fields

A closed expression for free wave packets in an homogeneous magnetic field is derived. A Gaussian function in the coordinates with time dependent coefficients is obtained, such that the mean values of position and momentum can be calculated exactly. The wave packets are found to move on a circle, their width is determined by the magnetic fieldB and independent of time. The weight function in an expansion of the wave packets in stationary solutions of the Schrödinger equation is approximately a Poisson distribution with the relative energy widthΔE/E=(B/E)^1/2.     

Temperature dependence of the light yield of the LAB-based and mesitylene-based liquid scintillators

We studied the temperature dependence of the light yield of linear alkyl benzene(LAB)-based and mesitylene-based liquid scintillators. The light yield increases by 23% for both liquid scintillators when the temperature is lowered from 26 to-40, correcting for the temperature response of the photomultiplier tube. The measurements help to understand the energy response of liquid scintillator detectors. Especially, the next generation reactor neutrino experiments for neutrino mass hierarchy, such as the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory(JUNO), require very high energy resolution. As no apparent degradation on the liquid scintillator transparency was observed, lowering the operation temperature of the detector to ～4 will increase the photoelectron yield of the detector by 13%, combining the light yield increase of the liquid scintillator and the quantum efficiency increase of the photomultiplier tubes.     

Contribution of backscattered electrons to the total electron yield produced in collisions of 8–28 keV electrons with tungsten

It is shown experimentally that under energetic electron bombardment the backscattered electrons from solid targets contribute significantly (∼80%) to the observed total electron yield, even for targets of high backscattering coefficients. It is further found that for tungsten (Z = 74) with a backscattering coefficient of about 0.50, about 20% of the total electron yield is contributed by the total secondary electrons for impact energies in the range of 8–28 keV. The yield of true backscattered electrons at normal incidence (η ₀), total secondary electrons (δ) and the total electron yield (δ _tot) produced in collisions of 8–28 keV electrons with W have been measured and compared with predictions of available theories. The present results indicate that the constant-loss of primary electrons in the target plays a significant role in producing the secondary electrons and that it yields a better fit to the experiment compared to the power-law.      

High energy electrons in the earth's radiation belts

Special experiments performed aboard the space stations Salyut-6-SoyuzProgress, Salyut-7-Soyuz T-13-Kosmos-1669, and the artificial earth satellite IK Bolgariya-1300 discovered, significant electron and positron fluxes with energies of more than decades of MeV in the earth's radiation belts. Spatial and angular characteristics of these fluxes have been studied. Study of the charge ratio of the electron-positron component has shown that it is electron-based. This indicates that in outer space near the earth some efficient mechanism capable of accelerating electrons to energies of more than decades of MeV exists.Translated from Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii, Fizika, No. 9, pp. 38–43, September, 1986.The authors consider it their pleasant duty to express gratitude to V. M. Gracev, S. V. Koldashov, A. V. Popov, and S. E. Ulin for their preparation of the equipment and conduct of the experiments.     

Environmental effects on electronic excitation energy transfer in organic liquid scintillators

The efficiency of electronic excitation energy transfer from toluene to a dissolved fluorescent indole, is determined experimentally in systems comprising neat toluene, 1:9 mixture of toluene-cyclohexane and 1:9 mixture of toluene-paraffin as a function of temperature in the range 293–353°K (viscosity range 0.6–39 cP). The results are discussed in terms of the influence of temperature, dilution and viscosity of the medium on the energy transfer efficiency in binary organic scintillator systems.     

Weakly bound electrons in an external magnetic field

The electron behavior in a spherical symmetric potential well in the presence of an external magnetic field is studied. The transcendental equation for the energy spectrum is derived. The energy of the bound state is approximately calculated. The electron wave function and the probability current are found.     

The measured energy loss of high energy electrons in aluminum

The energy distributions of electrons of about 54, 75 and 97 Mev have been measured before and after passing through aluminum absorbers of thicknesses ranging from 0.730 to 5.574 gm/cm². The electrons were accelerated by the LINAC of the Naval Postgraduate School. The most probable energy losses agree with the theory ofBlunck andWestphal for all thicknesses; the half widths of the distributions agree with theory except for large thicknesses, where they exceed the theoretical values. These results are in contrast to those ofBreuer, which indicate systematically large half widths and most probable energy losses which are greater than theory for thicknesses greater than about 2 gm/cm². Since our data agree with those ofBreuer, the difference occurs in the treatment of the theory.     

Mean energy of electrons in the oxygen discharge plasma

The mean energy of electrons in the homogeneous form of the positive column in an oxygen discharge is determined. The mean energy of electrons is calculated from double-probe characteristics under the assumption of a Druyvesteyn distribution using volt-equivalents of the electron temperature. The relation between the mean energy of electrons andE/p is compared with the theoretical results of another author. As a result of this comparison it can be concluded that for some discharge conditions the energy distribution of electrons is very close to a Druyvesteynian. We also analyze the influence of the negative ions on the double-probe characteristics.The author is obliged to Dr. O.tirand, Dr. L.Pekárek and Dr. J.Skála for their support of this work and helpful comments.