Inventors:
Loucas G. Christophorou - Oak Ridge TN
Dennis L. McCorkle - Knoxville TN
David V. Maxey - Knoxville TN
James G. Carter - Knoxville TN
Assignee:
The United States of America as represented by the United States
Department of Energy - Washington DC
International Classification:
C09K 300, H01J 3928, H01J 3930
Abstract:
Improved binary and ternary gas mixtures for gas-filled radiation detectors are provided. The components are chosen on the basis of the principle that the first component is one molecular gas or mixture of two molecular gases having a large electron scattering cross section at energies of about 0. 5 eV and higher, and the second component is a noble gas having a very small cross section at and below about 1. 0 eV, whereby fast electrons in the gaseous mixture are slowed into the energy range of about 0. 5 eV where the cross section for the mixture is small and hence the electron mean free path is large. The reduction in both the cross section and the electron energy results in an increase in the drift velocity of the electrons in the gas mixtures over that for the separate components for a range of E/P (pressure-reduced electric field) values. Several gas mixtures are provided that provide faster response in gas-filled detectors for convenient E/P ranges as compared with conventional gas mixtures.