Design and preliminary test of a multi-element tissue-equivalent proportional counter based on the gas electron multiplier.

Abstract In order to monitor the intense neutron and gamma radiation, multi-element tissue equivalent proportional counters (TEPC) based on the standard gas electron multiplier (GEM) and ceramic thick GEM (THGEM) foils were designed and respectively tested by implanted 55Fe and 241Am sources which would also be used as calibration sources. The performance testing of GEM-TEPC/THGEM-TEPC detectors at various parameters showed that the detectors could work well. The THGEM-TEPC was also used to measure the linear energy spectra in 241Am–Be and intense (108 ncm−2s−1) neutron radiation fields. The results displayed that THGEM-TEPC was available to do microdosimetric research or be a dosimeter in intense neutron/gamma field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]