Position sensitive gas proportional detectors with anode blades

The use of a thin metal blade to generate controlled electron multiplication in gas proportional mode has been studied. Measurements with X-rays have been made on assemblies of an anode blade and two adjacent cathodes in a test chamber. Systematic studies of various detector parameters and their influences on the multiplication process have been carried out. Devices constructed using this technique are very rugged and can be tailored to a curved geometry for the purposes of eliminating parallax error for small and large angle X-ray scattering experiments. Experimental results of a curved, one-dimensional position sensitive detector for synchrotron radiation, with an arc length of 20 cm and a 45/spl deg/ coverage, will be discussed.