Influence of the plain-parallel electrode surface dimensions on the type A measurement uncertainty of GM counter

Abstract

This paper investigates, through theory and experiment, the influence of the plain-parallel electrode surface dimensions change on the type A measurement uncertainty of a GM counter. The possibilities of applying these results to practical structures are examined by using the methods of mathematical statistics. Special attention is devoted to the influence of electrode surface enlargement on the statistical behavior of the pulse number random variable, expressed in the form of the enlargement law. In the theoretical part of the paper, the general surface enlargement law is derived. Comparison of experimental results with those predicted by the surface enlargement law proved its validity for expressing the type A measurement uncertainty of GM counters constructed with a plain-parallel electrode configuration with a homogenous electric field.