Patent · US Expired

Multianode cylindrical proportional counter for high count rates

US4289967A · kind A · utility

6Cited by
3References
10Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 23, 1980
Grant dateSep 15, 1981
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 23, 2000

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH01J47/062
  • WIPO fieldElectrical machinery, apparatus, energy
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A cylindrical, multiple-anode proportional counter is provided for counting of low-energy photons (<60 keV) at count rates of greater than 10.sup.5 counts/sec. A gas-filled proportional counter cylinder forming an outer cathode is provided with a central coaxially disposed inner cathode and a plurality of anode wires disposed in a cylindrical array in coaxial alignment with and between the inner and outer cathodes to form a virtual cylindrical anode coaxial with the inner and outer cathodes. The virtual cylindrical anode configuration improves the electron drift velocity by providing a more uniform field strength throughout the counter gas volume, thus decreasing the electron collection time following the detection of an ionizing event. This avoids pulse pile-up and coincidence losses at these high count rates. Conventional RC position encoding detection circuitry may be employed to extract the spatial information from the counter anodes.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.