Overlapping correction suitable for an LR-115 detector located inside a diffusion chamber

Abstract

A simulation program based on Monte Carlo methods was developed to study the behaviour of the overlapping effect in the LR-115 nuclear track detectors located inside a diffusion chamber. The relation between the non-overlapped tracks and the radon exposure level that the detector was exposed was adopted. This study focuses on very high radon concentration levels found in soil gas, uranium mines, or underground places. These anomalous levels can influence the radiological risk related to inhalation of indoor radon or the spontaneous increases in thermal neutron background. LR-115 detector exposed to anomalous levels can register a large number of latent tracks on its surface. After an etching treatment, some visible tracks can be placed covering one or more visible tracks altering the LR-115 response. In order to develop this work and be more realistic, visible tracks were simulated taking into account radon exposure level, geometry and dimensions of the diffusion chamber, dimensions of the detector, the V function, the etching process and the reading process. Results show that the overlapping effect in the LR-115 inside a cylindrical diffusion chamber exposed to very high levels can be solved with an uncertainty of 5%. The same methodology can also be applied when considering other detectors and geometry and dimensions of a diffusion chamber.