Abstract
IN 1954, Kantz and Hofstadter1 discussed the use of total-absorption spectrometers for high-energy electrons and photons. They outlined the advantage of such devices, and estimated the performance of different absorbing materials. The operation depends on trapping a large fraction of the incident energy within the absorber, which is made large enough to permit soft-shower development. (To keep the dimensions reasonable, absorbers of high atomic number are essential.) This trapped energy is dissipated by ionization along relativistic electron tracks in the absorber. As the absorber is to be transparent, visible light will be emitted by fluorescence and Čerenkov processes: this light pulse is measured by photomultiplier techniques.
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References
Kantz, A., and Hofstadter, R., Nucleonics, 12, 36 (1954).
Cassels, J. M., Proc. Phys. Soc. (in the press). We are indebted to Prof. Cassels for supplying this information about his instrument prior to publication.
Jester, M. H. L., University of California Radiation Laboratory, 2990 (1955).
Jones, D. A., Proc. Phys. Soc., B, 65, 165 (1955).
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WILLIAMS, W., CAPLAN, H. A Lead Fluoride Total-Absorption Spectrometer for High-Energy Electrons and Photons. Nature 179, 1185–1186 (1957). https://doi.org/10.1038/1791185a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/1791185a0
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