Wire chamber aging and wire material
Recent studies on wire chamber aging have shown surprising results indicating that anode wire material may have a strong influence on the useful life-time of a chamber or counter. The aging process discussed here is related to changes in the surface characteristics of the anode wires. Those changes may be due to an oxidation process involving molecules produced from the dissociation of organic quenching agents during the avalanche process. It is observed that after some running time the anode wire surface is coated with a nonconductive film, which drops the electric field around the anode wire, reducing the gain as the aging process continues. Aging was accelerated when the gold plated tungsten anode wire was replaced by Stablohm-800 resistive alloy (75% Ni + 20% Cr + Al + Cu) wire using the same gas in the same chamber. However, the gas mixture of Argon-ethane-isopropyl alcohol provides a very long lifetime for a drift chamber made of Stablohm-800 anode wire. The details of the findings are discussed.
- Research Organization:
- Fermi National Accelerator Lab.
- OSTI ID:
- 6708234
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-861007-
- Journal Information:
- IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci.; (United States), Vol. NS-34:1; Conference: Nuclear science and nuclear power systems symposium, Washington, DC, USA, 29 Oct 1986
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Wire chamber
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Related Subjects
DRIFT CHAMBERS
AGING
MATERIALS TESTING
ALUMINIUM ALLOYS
ANODES
CHROMIUM ALLOYS
COPPER ALLOYS
DISSOCIATION
ELECTRIC FIELDS
GAIN
GOLD
MOLECULES
NICKEL BASE ALLOYS
OXIDATION
POLYMERIZATION
QUENCHING
SERVICE LIFE
SURFACE PROPERTIES
TUNGSTEN
WIRES
ALLOYS
AMPLIFICATION
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
ELECTRODES
ELEMENTS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
METALS
MULTIWIRE PROPORTIONAL CHAMBERS
NICKEL ALLOYS
PROPORTIONAL COUNTERS
RADIATION DETECTORS
TESTING
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
440104* - Radiation Instrumentation- High Energy Physics Instrumentation