Ultra-thin gas detector for tracking of low energy electrons

The paper presents the most important results of a study performed with a prototype multiwire drift chamber (MWDC) operated with helium at 100 – 1000 mbar pressure with only 10 – 30 % isobutane admixture. At certain conditions, a spatial resolution better than 500 μ m and an efficiency higher than 95% were achieved. Such detectors are well suited for beta decay correlation experiments. Possibly they could be advantageous as monitors of backscattering from electron energy detectors and as ion cloud size monitors in ion traps.