Threshold temperatures of heavy ion-induced nucleation in superheated emulsions

The threshold temperatures of nucleation in superheated emulsions were investigated with self-made superheated emulsions using R114 as sensitive liquid irradiated with a number of heavy ion species at several hundred megaelectron volt per nucleon. Calculations were made to estimate the threshold temperatures of nucleation for heavy ions of different energies. The calculation shows that the response of the emulsion increases near threshold temperature and then saturates to a value corresponding to the drop size of the superheated liquid. The nucleation rates were observed as a function of the operating temperature of the superheated emulsions for different heavy ion species and energies, and a comparison is made with the calculation.