Ionization Chamber:

The ionization chamber is a detector which operates within the ionization region.

 DESCRIBE the operation of an ionization chamber to involve:

a. Radiation detection

b. Voltage variations

c. Gamma sensitivity reduction

Ionization chambers are electrical devices which detect radiation while the voltage is adjusted so in which the conditions correspond to the ionization region (refer to Region II). The charge acquire is the result of collecting the ions generated through radiation. This charge will depend on the categories of radiation being detected. Ionization chambers have two distinct drawbacks while compared to proportional counters: they are less sensitive and that have a slower response time.

There are two categories of ionization chambers to be discussed: the pulse counting ionization chamber and the integrating ionization chamber. Within the pulse counting ionization chamber, the pulses are detected because of particles traversing the chamber. Within the integrating chamber, the integrated total and the pulses add, of the ionizations generated in a predetermined period of time is measured. The similar categories of ionization chamber might be used for either function. Therefore, as a common rule, the integrating type ionization chamber is used.