STUDIES ON ENERGY LOSS, RANGE AND STRAGGLING OF LIGHT IONS IN POLYMER (PMMA) FILM

Mahalesh Devendrappa, Hajibaba K Inamdar, Basavaraja Sannakki

Abstract: Energy loss of alpha particles of energy 5.48 MeV [Am-241], has measured in Poly methyl methacrylate [PMMA] films at a pressure of 4.0-5.6 mbar. The experiment was carried out using the alpha ray spectrometer consisting of the Silicon Surface Barrier Detector. The alpha source and the detector were kept at a fixed distance of 16 mm in scattering chamber. The energy calibration of alpha particles in vacuum at a pressure of 4.6 mbar is 9.52KeV/channel. The value of energy loss found in the Poly methyl methacrylate film is 3.248 MeV and the computed stopping power [SRIM 2008] for alpha particle in PMMA film is 1.798 x102 MeV/mm. The nuclear, electronic energy loss and projected range as a function of projectile energy in the range 2-10 MeV for alpha particles in PMMA is also studied using SRIM. It was found that the stopping power of alpha particles in PMMA film decreases exponentially as transmitted energy increases. Further the projected range of alpha particles increases exponentially as energy increases.

Keywords: Energy Loss, Poly Methyl Methacrylate Thin Film, Range, SSBD, Straggling And SRIM Code.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15623/ijret.2016.0533019