The present work describes the experimental measurement of the total etchable range for different heavy ions, ':C (8.7 MeV/N), ':O (8.7 MeV/N). :gNe (7.7 MeV/N), $i (6.4 MeV/N), $Fe (6.4 MeV/N) and i:Ni (6.5 MeViN) in CR-39 (Dop) and Lexan polycarbonate plastic track detectors. The energy loss rate dE/dX and the range, R of these heavy ions in these detectors have also been computed theoretically using the Mukherjee and Nayak (Nucl. Instrum. Methods 159, 421;1979) and Benton and Henke (Nucl. Instrum. Methods 67, 87; 1969) methods. A comparative study indicates that the experimental values of the total etchable range agree well with the corresponding theoretically computed values of the total range using the Mukherjee and Nayak method. However, the results indicate a disagreement with calculations using the Benton and Henke method.
An attempt has also been made to develop empirical relations between the energy loss rate, dE/dX (calculated by using the Mukherjee and Nayak stopping power equations), the corresponding energy E, and the nuclear charge Z for different heavy ions traversing CR-39 (Dop) and Lexan polycarbonate plastic track detectors. The energy loss rate, dE/dX calculated from the Mukherjee and Nayak stopping power equations and the corresponding values predicted from empirical relations have been found to be in close agreement.