Solid state nuclear track detectors: Track forming, stabilizing and development processes

Fast moving heavy charged particles passing through solids are mainly losing their energy-in a wide range of velocities-by excitation and ionization processes which result in a more or less stable radiation damage. 1 The radiation damage may consist of broken bonds, free radicals, chemical reaction products, displaced atoms, ionic and electronic defects, dislocation configurations, voids, clusters of defects with and without impurities, nuclei of new phases etc. The nature and stability of this localized radiation damage, termed the "latent" track of the particle depends on the data of the particle and on the physical and chemical properties of the solid. Dielectric materials with low electric and thermal conductivities offer favorable conditions for relatively high local excitation and ionization densities resulting in physical and chemical solid state reactions with relatively stable reaction Products.