New calibrations and time stability of the response of the INTERCAST CR-39

TL;DR

This paper provides new calibration data for INTERCAST CR-39 detectors from different production batches over a decade, demonstrating minimal aging effects and a negligible fading effect less than 10%.

Contribution

It offers updated calibration curves for various batches and confirms the detector's response stability over time and minimal fading effects.

Findings

Calibration curves vary between batches due to production differences.

Aging effects on CR-39 response are negligible over time.

Fading effects are less than 10%, within experimental uncertainties.

Abstract

We present new calibrations of different production batches (from 1989 to 1999) of the INTERCAST CR-39, using the BNL-AGS 1 A GeV iron beam. The comparison with previous results, obtained with the 158 A GeV lead beam from the CERN-SPS shows that, while each production batch has a different calibration curve (mainly due to minor differences in the production conditions), the aging effect is negligible. We also tested the dependence of the CR-39 response from the time elapsed between exposure and analysis (fading effect). The fading effect, if present, is less than 10%. It may be compatible with the experimental uncertainties on the bulk etching rate vB.