Design Of A Cylindrical Streamer Corona Detector Investigation Of Alpha Particles Ranges & Spectra From Different Alpha-Sources

Abstract

This thesis is aimed at the construction and investigation of the wire-cylinder corona streamer detector in atmospheric air. A theoretical treatment has been carried out for understanding the related mechanisms. The long dead time and cathode erosion of the spark counter

for heavily ionizing radiation have been overcome by operating the counter in the streamer mode. The streamer and spark mode of operation have been studied

using a diode clipping circuit and the related mechanism is also examined, Hence it has been possible to separate counting response of streamer pulses from that ulses of spark region. Investigations were made on the counting characteristics in

relation to their dependence on the anode wire radius r and the cathode cylinder radius R. In connection with the present studies the free charge electric

field as "veil as capacitance per unit length and charge per unit length w re calculated, and the results have been applied to practical configuration.

Since the first observation of a corona detector operated 111 the k\"J'RhAMh'R region by Tavendale ( 1962), no etiort has been made to give the relation between any two parameter of the wire cylinder streamer corona detector (WCSCD). The present work is an attempt to get such a link between two paraEteters in the wire-plane counter in order to furnish a better understanding of the related mechanism. Also, it is intended to investigate its reliability to determine the range of alpha particles in air.