Photomultiplier Counters in High-Energy Physics Experiments

Techniques in the use of photomultipliers in high-energy nuclear physics are presented by the description of experiments that have been prominent recently. The applications involve the use of photomultipliers with attendant amplification at the limit of present possibilities of time resolution. Such applications include measurements of time of flight, measurement of lifetime of heavy unstable particles, and the elimination of background effects in the pulsed radiation fields of high-energy accelerators. The need for the development of large fast-rising signals from events of small light output, such as Cerenkov light pulses, is made apparent, and a discussion of the performance desired from electron multipliers in view of contemplated experiments is presented.