DEVICES FOR DETECTING AND TRACING THE PATHS OF IONIZING PARTICLES,
Abstract
Since little or no work appears to have been done on spark chambers in which heavily ionizing particles have been studied, experiments were initiated in which tracks were produced by alpha particles. Alpha particles produce roughly 40,000 ion pairs per cm under conditions where the particles usually studied in spark chambers produce only 10 to 30 ion pairs per cm. It was thought that this large difference could be used to throw light on the nature of the processes operating in spark chambers. Sparks following oblique alpha particle tracks making angles up to as much as 60 degrees with the normal to the electrodes have been observed, mixed up with the much more frequently obtained sparks along the normal to the electrodes. Just what conditions controlled the direction of the spark led to an extensive study of methods of applying and shaping the high voltage pulse applied to the spark chamber. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 31, 1965
- Accession Number
- AD0613319
Entities
People
- Arthur L. Hughes
Organizations
- University of Washington