An experimental study of ion recombination in parallel-plate free-air ionization chambes

Abstract

An experimental study of the saturation conditions of such chambers is presented. The result smay be explained by assuming that two different types of ion recombination (initial and volume recombination) take place simultaneously. Their relative values can be calculated from the results, and are found to agree with theories proposed by Boag, by Scott and Greening, and by Kara-Michailova and Lea. For the saturation current to be determined by extrapolation, the collecting field strength should be high enough for volume recombination to be negligible compared with initial recombination. The extrapolation is of the reciprocal of ionization current against the reciprocal of collecting field strength.