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Lecture

Gaseous Ionisation Detectors

In course

PHYS-452: Radiation detection

The course presents the detection of ionizing radiation in the keV and MeV energy ranges. Physical processes of radiation/matter interaction are introduced. All steps of detection are covered, as well as detectors, instrumentations and measurements methods ...

Description

This lecture covers the principles and operation of gaseous ionisation detectors, including ionisation chambers, proportional counters, and Geiger-Müller counters. It explains the detection regions, operation modes, and spectrometry measurements. The instructor discusses the interest, applications, and properties of ionisation chambers, proportional counters, and Geiger-Müller counters, highlighting their advantages and disadvantages. The lecture also explores the formation of avalanches, choice of detector geometry, and variants/upgrades in detector technology.

Instructor

Vincent Pierre Lamirand

After a PhD on the measurement of (p,n) reactions cross sections on small accelerators (IRSN, France), I have worked on the development of neutron detectors and measurement methods for reactor physics (CEA, France). I am part of the LRS staff since October 2014.

Official source

Ontological neighbourhood

Physics

Particle physics: Particle detectors

Related concepts (32)

Gaseous ionization detector

Gaseous ionization detectors are radiation detection instruments used in particle physics to detect the presence of ionizing particles, and in radiation protection applications to measure ionizing radiation. They use the ionising effect of radiation upon a gas-filled sensor. If a particle has enough energy to ionize a gas atom or molecule, the resulting electrons and ions cause a current flow which can be measured. Gaseous ionisation detectors form an important group of instruments used for radiation detection and measurement.

Geiger counter

A Geiger counter (also known as a Geiger–Müller counter or G-M counter) is an electronic instrument used for detecting and measuring ionizing radiation. It is widely used in applications such as radiation dosimetry, radiological protection, experimental physics and the nuclear industry. It detects ionizing radiation such as alpha particles, beta particles, and gamma rays using the ionization effect produced in a Geiger–Müller tube, which gives its name to the instrument.

Proportional counter

The proportional counter is a type of gaseous ionization detector device used to measure particles of ionizing radiation. The key feature is its ability to measure the energy of incident radiation, by producing a detector output pulse that is proportional to the radiation energy absorbed by the detector due to an ionizing event; hence the detector's name. It is widely used where energy levels of incident radiation must be known, such as in the discrimination between alpha and beta particles, or accurate measurement of X-ray radiation dose.

Semiconductor detector

A semiconductor detector in ionizing radiation detection physics is a device that uses a semiconductor (usually silicon or germanium) to measure the effect of incident charged particles or photons. Semiconductor detectors find broad application for radiation protection, gamma and X-ray spectrometry, and as particle detectors. In semiconductor detectors, ionizing radiation is measured by the number of charge carriers set free in the detector material which is arranged between two electrodes, by the radiation.

Ionization chamber

The ionization chamber is the simplest type of gaseous ionisation detector, and is widely used for the detection and measurement of many types of ionizing radiation, including X-rays, gamma rays, alpha particles and beta particles. Conventionally, the term "ionization chamber" refers exclusively to those detectors which collect all the charges created by direct ionization within the gas through the application of an electric field.

Related lectures (37)

Gaseous Ionisation Detectors

Explores gaseous ionisation detectors, their principles, operation modes, applications, and properties in radiation detection and dosimetry.

Radiation Detection: Gaseous Ionisation Detectors

Explores gaseous ionisation detectors, including ionisation chambers, proportional counters, and Geiger-Müller counters, discussing their principles, operation modes, and applications.

Untitled

Detection Principles: Gaseous Ionization Detectors

Explores the principles of detection in gaseous ionization detectors and the behavior of dead time, energy loss, charge drift, and detection regions.