SHORT DEAD-TIME CORONA-STREAMER COUNTER FOR NEUTRONS

Journal Article · Wed Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1961 · Rev. Sci. Instr.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1717209· OSTI ID:4796671

Tavendale, A J

ABS>The long dead time and cathode erosion of the Rosenblum corona-spark counter for heavily ionizing radiations were overcome by forming only the streamer stage of the spark by the addition of a few percent of some diatormic gas to nitrogen-contaminated argon in corona detectors of coaxial wire-cylinder geometry. The amplitude of the streamer pulse at the anode wire is large (> 10 v) and distinctly greater than background, with a risetime of about l mu sec. The recovery of the anode potential is made rapid (typically 5 mu sec) by a simple RC anode circuit. Efficiencies for streamer formation of 7.5% for U/sup 234/ alpha particles, 1.5% for (n,B/sup 10/ ) alpha 's, and 5% for (n,U/sup 235/ ) fission fragments were obtained in coated counters. (auth)

• Research Organization: Univ. of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• NSA Number: NSA-16-013340
• OSTI ID: 4796671
• Journal Information: Rev. Sci. Instr., Journal Name: Rev. Sci. Instr. Vol. Vol: 32
• Country of Publication: Country unknown/Code not available
• Language: English

Related Subjects

ALPHA DECAY
ARGON
BACKGROUND
BORON 10
CATHODES
CIRCUITS
EFFICIENCY
ENGINEERING AND EQUIPMENT
FISSION PRODUCTS
IONIZATION
NEUTRON DETECTION
NITROGEN
SPARK CHAMBERS
URANIUM 234
URANIUM 235
WIRES