Energy loss straggling of Cu, Si, O and C heavy ions through Si3N4 thin foils over a range of energies 0.1-0.6 MeV/n by Time-of-Flight spectrometry

(1) iThemba Labs, National Research Foundation, P.O. Box 722, Somerset West 7129, South Africa
(2) Physics Department, Tshwane University of Technology, P Bag X 680, Pretoria 0001, South Africa
(3) Departement de physique, Faculté des Sciences Université Saad Dahleb, B. P. 270, Route de Soumaa, Blida, Algeria
(4) Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, CPUT, P.O. Box 1906 Bellville 7535, South Africa
(5) Centre de Recherche Nucleaire d’Alger, 2 Bd. Frantz Fanon, B.P. 399, Alger-Gare, Algiers, Algeria
(6) Departement de physique, Faculté des Sciences Université M’hamed Bougara, Boumerdes, Algeria

The energy-loss straggling of 63Cu, 28Si, 16O and 12C partially stripped heavy ions crossing silicon nitride foils has been determined over a continuous range of energies 0.1–0.6 MeV/n, by using a method based on the Heavy Ion –Elastic Recoil Detection Analysis (HI-ERDA) technique using a Time of Flight (ToF) spectrometer. The obtained energy loss straggling values corrected for non-statistical straggling and the thickness variation using the Besenbacher’s method have been analyzed and compared with the corresponding computed values including different contributions: electronic, nuclear and electronic binding straggling. For computed electronic straggling we have used alternatively the widely used formulations such as, Bohr, Bethe-Livingston and Yang formulas. The aim of such comparison is to check the reliability and accuracy of the existing energy loss straggling formulations, in the light of the present experimental results. The experimental results of energy loss straggling of all ions are found to be greater than those predicted by the theories. These differences can be attributed to the charge exchange straggling. This effect has to be taken into account in order to explain the obtained results.