Development of an optical digital ionization chamber

Conference · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:6761807

Turner, J E; Hunter, S R; Hamm, R N; Wright, H A; Hurst, G S; Gibson, W A

We are developing a new device for optically detecting and imaging the track of a charged particle in a gas. The electrons in the particle track are made to oscillate rapidly by the application of an external, short-duration, high-voltage, RF electric field. The excited electrons produce additional ionization and electronic excitation of the gas molecules in their immediate vicinity, leading to copious light emission (fluorescence) from the selected gas, allowing the location of the electrons along the track to be determined. Two digital cameras simultaneously scan the emitted light across two perpendicular planes outside the chamber containing gas. The information thus obtained for a given track can be used to infer relevant quantities for microdosimetry and dosimetry, e.g., energy deposited, LET, and track structure in the gas. The design of such a device now being constructed and methods of obtaining the dosimetric data from the digital output will be described. 4 refs., 4 figs.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 6761807
• Report Number(s): CONF-881022-1; ON: DE89002209
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

440104* -- Radiation Instrumentation-- High Energy Physics Instrumentation
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
CHARGED PARTICLE DETECTION
DESIGN
DETECTION
DOSEMETERS
DOSIMETRY
ELECTRO-OPTICAL EFFECTS
ENERGY TRANSFER
FLUORESCENCE
LET
LUMINESCENCE
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
PARTICLE TRACKS
RADIATION DETECTION