Improved gas mixtures for gas-filled radiation detectors

Patent · Fri Mar 28 00:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:6720716

Christophorou, L G; McCorkle, D L; Maxey, D V; Carter, J G

Improved binary and ternary gas mixtures for gas-filled radiation detectors are provided. The components are chosen on the basis of the principle that the first component is one molecular gas or mixture of two molecular gases having a large electron scattering cross section at energies of about 0.5 eV and higher, and the second component is a noble gas having a very small cross section at and below about 1.0 eV, whereby fast electrons in the gaseous mixture are slowed into the energy range of about 0.5 eV where the cross section for the mixture is small and hence the electron mean free path is large. The reduction in both the cross section and the electron energy results in an increase in the drift velocity of the electrons in the gas mixtures over that for the separate components for a range of E/P (pressure-reduced electric field) values. Several gas mixtures are provided that provide faster response in gas-filled detectors for convenient E/P ranges as compared with conventional gas mixtures.

• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-26
• Assignee: Dept. of Energy
• OSTI ID: 6720716
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
RADIATION DETECTORS
SPECIFICATIONS
ARGON
GASES
METHANE
PERFORMANCE TESTING
ALKANES
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
HYDROCARBONS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
NONMETALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
RARE GASES
TESTING
440101* - Radiation Instrumentation- General Detectors or Monitors & Radiometric Instruments