A New Technique for Recording Heavy Primary Cosmic Radiation and Nuclear Processes in Silver Chloride Single Crystals

A new technique for recording heavy primary cosmic radiation and nuclear processes has been developed through decoration of dislocations formed by these processes in large silver chloride single crystals. The crystals are prepared and exposed to cosmic radiation during high altitude balloon flights. The crystals are then treated according to the Haynes-Shockley photoelectric technique which results in silver collecting at the dislocations and thereby decorates the dislocations at room temperature within two hours. Since silver chloride is transparent to visible light, the decorated dislocations are observable with an optical microscope at a magnification of about 150-200. A one-to-one correspondence has been established between tracks in the crystals and those in photographic emulsions accompanying the crystals during balloon flights. Examples of heavy primary cosmic radiation and nuclear processes in crystals are shown.