Abstract
With the purpose of extending the usefulness and reliability of the Geiger ion counter an investigation of its behavior under widely varying conditions was undertaken, including the effect of size of point and chamber, position of point in chamber, effect of voltage on sensitivity, effect of nature and pressure of gas used, sensitivity to ultraviolet light, sensitivity to ions of small energy, effect of various properties of the electrical circuits, and an investigation of the time lag in its action.
It is concluded that the counter is a very sensitive instrument for detecting single ions; that it is only a moderately sensitive detector of ultraviolet light because of low efficiency; that it is primarily a qualitative instrument, though of possible quantitative use subject to the difficulty of keeping the sensitivity constant over the long periods necessary to take statistical averages. Some surmises are made as to the manner of its action.
© 1928 Optical Society of America
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