Single Wire-Plate Alpha Particle Counter Characteristics in Air

Spark and oorona-streamer characteristics have been obtained for a wire-plate alpha particle counter having an electrode gap 1.27mm - 12.7mm and a wire diameter 0.07mm - 0.5mm. Applied voltages Va up to 22kV were employed. The working characteristics for different quenching resistances R are reduced to a single fundamental characteristic independent of R. Conditions are given for attaining a flat counting characteristic plateau in both the sparking mode and coronastreamer mode of operation.