A STUDY OF BREAKDOWN LIMITS IN MICROSTRIP GAS COUNTERS WITH PREAMPLIFICATION STRUCTURES

Authors
FONTE P PESKOV V RAMSEY BD
Citation
P. Fonte et al., A STUDY OF BREAKDOWN LIMITS IN MICROSTRIP GAS COUNTERS WITH PREAMPLIFICATION STRUCTURES, Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment, 416(1), 1998, pp. 23-31
Citations number
19
Categorie Soggetti
Nuclear Sciences & Tecnology","Physics, Particles & Fields","Instument & Instrumentation",Spectroscopy
Journal title
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment → ACNP
ISSN journal
01689002
Volume
416
Issue
1
Year of publication
1998
Pages
23 - 31
Database
ISI
SICI code
0168-9002(1998)416:1<23:ASOBLI>2.0.ZU;2-2
Abstract
We have studied the charge and breakdown limits of Microstrip Gas Coun ters (MSGC's) with two different preamplification structures: the Gas Electron Multiplier (GEM) and the Parallel-Plate Avalanche Counter (PP AC). It was found that in both cases the breakdown limit was increased by 1-2 orders of magnitude compared to the bare MSGC and that this wa s due to the spreading of the primary electron cloud during pre-amplif ication. This spreading reduces the charge density in the final MSGC a valanche, permitting much higher total gains before streamers form. Th e real practical gain limitations in these two-stage detectors arose n ot from sparking, but from a loss of proportionality due to space char ge effects. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.