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Low-Level Gas Proportional Counting in An Underground Laboratory

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 July 2016

H H Loosli ,
Martin Heimann  and
Hans Oeschger
H H Loosli
Affiliation:
Physics Institute, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
Martin Heimann
Affiliation:
Physics Institute, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
Hans Oeschger
Affiliation:
Physics Institute, University of Bern, Sidlerstrasse 5, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
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Abstract

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Results of measurements in an underground laboratory, 70m of water equivalent below surface, are given. Background values of proportional gas counters with volumes between 16cc and 1.5L are lower by a factor of 2—4.5 compared to the values in the previously used laboratory (7m w.e.). High counting gas pressures, up to 5 at CH4 and up to 36 at P-10, enable the use of relatively small counters with correspondingly small background contributions from the walls. A separation of the residual background into different components is attempted, distinguishing a pressure dependent volume effect and surface correlated contributions. It can be shown that the selection of radioactively pure counter construction material is very important for a good low level counting system.

Type
Techniques
Information
Radiocarbon , Volume 22 , Issue 2 , 1980 , pp. 461 - 469
Copyright
Copyright © The American Journal of Science 

References

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