Study of the characteristics of a gas-discharge counter with a negatively charged wire in the air

Gas-discharge counters with a negative potential at the thin central electrode are studied. In a counter with thus applied high-voltage, electron avalanches develop in the direction away from the centre in a greatly decreasing electric field. The mechanism for this process and the effect of various factors are described. The counting and amplitude characteristics are given for one of the counters. The geometrically sensitive region and the dependence of its performance on the type of primary ionization is studied. The counter was tested in the air under normal conditions.