Answer to Question #126195 in Atomic and Nuclear Physics for Jawad

Question

A gas filled detector has a cylindrical shape which enclose different gases and an entrance window. You are interested to detect alpha, beta and neutrons by using gas filled detectors. What modifications you will do to detect all the mentioned particles keeping in view that alpha and beta particles cannot penetrate through the entrance window of the gas filled detectors due to their short range

Answer 1

To detect alpha- and beta-particles easier, as well as neutrons, I would add a separation inside the cylinder so that it had two equal chambers. The first chamber would measure ionization by charged particles. I would add two electrodes under voltage separated by a gas gap to both chambers. When there is ionization, the sparks from electricity create acoustic noise. The noise tells us that radiation surround us.

On the walls of the second chamber I would add boron-10 or uranium-235. Boron decays into lithium-7 and alpha-particle, which ionize the gas. Uranium splits into several high-energy pieces when captures neutrons. The pieces ionize the gas. The electrodes make sound if neutrons are present in the air surrounding the chamber.