Energy loss straggling measurements for helium ions in Mylar and polypropylene polymeric foils

In the present contribution, we report results on energy straggling of He ions penetrating Mylar and polypropylene thin polymeric foils. The measurements were performed in the 900–3000 keV incident particle energy range by using the indirect transmission technique developed previously. The experimental straggling data are corrected to consider the roughness effects due to target thickness inhomogeneity. As expected, the roughness contribution to straggling is more important for helium than for proton ions and decreases as the ion energy increases. At low velocities, (<500 keV/amu), the variation of the experimental energy straggling results differs strongly from predictions based on Bohr’s formalism, and with increasing energies, the experimental results approach gradually the Bohr values.