50 Particle Physics

& Astroptystcs
NuclearPhysics,
carriers
Methods forthe detection of free charged
moves through a substance
When an energetic heavy charged particle atomic electrons n
energy by repeated ionising
collisions with
the
nce, it
su lo
in the
the
subst:
b
ions is produced. Thenea
each collision, a pair of positive
are usually electrons. In the case
and
of
negative
a solid medium, instead of a
negatiive

itive
ion
i
The positive and negative ionsincludino
positivelycharged hole is created. e
is known as . pe
tive holes are the charge carriers. This ionisation process
a detectoratraprim
1onisation. The positive and negative electrodesplaced within
ttract
in the medium between them which gives
oppositely charged ions produced rise
1onisation current. This can be recorded by
a suitablemeasuring device to
reco
the event the medium) while movi
passage of the particle through
(i.e., the
ing
wards the electrodes,the ions suffer repeated collisions with the atoms in the
dium. Ifthe potential differencebetween the electrodes in he detector issufficie
high, then the primary ions produced in the medium may gain an amount ofene
high enough to produce another ion pair which wilt also move towards the opo
electrodes. These turn may produce further ionisationby collision. Allthe
in

ondary ions thus produced add up with the primary ions and thus an amplified o

rent
is recorded
by the detector. This process is known asgas amplification. lonisa

counters, Geiger Muller counters and semiconductors

champers. proportional
based on this method, which we are supposed to
study.

lonisation chamber
lonisation chamber in its simplest form consists'of a hollow
conducting cylind
closed at both ends with a window W at one end for the
ionising radiations to ente
A metal rod R well insulated from the
cylinderis mounted at the axis of the cylind
A potential of several hundred volts is
difference applied between the cylindera
the metal rod at the centre. The
positive terminal of the potential to the metal
through a resistance R
and the negative n
potential to the cylinder. The
filled with a cylinder
gas usually air or hydrogen at
atmospheric pressure or at
sures for y-ray detection.For the greater pre
detection of neutrons
boron is introduced
form BF. When radiation en- in

ters the chamber it

produces a
large number of ion
pairs. PoSi-
tive 1ons move towards the
Radiation wMetal rod Ampli-

R fier
metal rod at the centre and
nega- pulse

tive ions towards the

metallic
cylinder.In order to count par-
R Counter

ticles the
pulses of current pro
duced are fed to an
amplifier.
Figure 2.1
 Nuclear Radiation Detectors. 51

Proportional counter
When particles of low specific ionisation passes through an ionisation chamber,
the pulses produced is too small to detect. One way of ob
amplifying the signal
tained from a gas- filled detector is to increase the electric field so that the electrons
gainenough energy between collision with gas atoms to cause further ionisation. In
sucha case the electrons produce further ionisation, and a
rapid amplification of the
original cascadeoccurs in what is called as Townsend avalanche. It should be noted
thatthe size of the output signal is proportional to the number of ions formed
by the
primaryionisation process. Such a chamber is called a
proportional counter.
Cathode

To amplifier

Radius a Anode

Figure 2.2
The proportional counter consists of a
cylindrical gas filled tube (radius b Fig.)
with avery thin central wire (radius a) which is insulated from the tube.
The central
wire is positive with respect to the tube which serves as the
collecting electrode.
Thisisconnected to a pulse amplifier.

Geiger-Muller counter