Optical efficiency for fission fragment track counting in muscovite solid state track recorders

In order to determine absolute fission rates from thin actinide deposits placed in direct contact with Muscovite Solid State Track Recorders, it is necessary to know the efficiency with which fission fragment tracks are recorded. In this paper, a redetermination of the “optical efficiency”, i.e., the fraction of fission events recorded and observed in the Muscovite, is reported. The value obtained from a well-calibrated thin deposit of 252Cf and Muscovite etched about 90 min. in 49% HF at room temperature, is 0.9875 ∓ 0.0085. Manual counting was used. Preliminary results from a deposit of 242Pu are also reported, along with preliminary comparisons of track counting with an automated system. Reasons for the discrepancy of the optical efficiency reported here with an earlier measurement are also reported.