A new criterion for comparing track etch dosimetry systems

Track etch dosimetry systems are often characterised in terms of their 'minimum detectable dose equivalent' (MDDE), which corresponds to two (or three) standard deviations on the background divided by the sensitivity: this is a very useful criterion for quantifying the performance of a dosimetry system at low doses, since it defines the level at which doses may be regarded as statistically significant. A new criterion is defined in this work, however, which corresponds to the smallest dose which can be detected with 95% confidence, the 'smallest detectable dose equivalent', δ.