Abstract: A device for detecting includes a cathode forming a hollow sphere, filled with an ionisation and amplification gas, and an anode placed at the centre of the hollow sphere by the intermediary of a maintaining cane, wherein the anode is formed by an insulating ball and by at least two conductive balls positioned around the insulating ball and at the same predetermined distance from the insulating ball.

Abstract: A device for detecting includes a cathode forming a hollow sphere, filled with an ionisation and amplification gas, and an anode placed at the centre of the hollow sphere by the intermediary of a maintaining cane, wherein the anode is formed by an insulating ball and by at least two conductive balls positioned around the insulating ball and at the same predetermined distance from the insulating ball.

Abstract: A detector-readout interface for an avalanche particle detector comprises a resistive layer formed at a bottom side of a gas chamber and a dielectric layer formed under said resistive layer and is adapted for capacitive coupling to an external readout board. This provides a modular detector configuration in which the readout card and detector core can be combined freely and interchangeably. The readout board can even be removed or replaced without switching off the detector. At the same time, the configuration provides an effective protection against sparks and discharges, and in particular obliviates the need for additional protecting circuits. The configuration may be employed in any avalanche particle detector, such as the MicroMegas or GEM detectors.

Abstract: The invention relates to an improved method for fabricating the amplification gap of an avalanche particle detector in which two parallel electrodes are spaced apart by dielectric spacer elements. A foil including a bulk layer made of dielectric material sandwiched by two mutually parallel metallic electrodes is provided, and holes are formed in one of the metallic layers by means of photolithography. The amplification gap is then formed in the bulk layer by means of carefully controlled etching of the bulk material through the holes formed in one of the metallic layers. The invention not only provides a simplified fabrication process, but also results in a detector with enhanced spatial and energy resolution.

Abstract: A spherical device for detecting neutrons includes a sphere-shaped cathode and a ball-shaped anode. The cathode forms an enclosure filled with an ionising gas. The ionising gas is pure nitrogen. The ionising gas can also be mixed with a quencher. In this case, the quencher may be ethane.

Abstract: A detector-readout interface for an avalanche particle detector comprises a resistive layer formed at a bottom side of a gas chamber and a dielectric layer formed under said resistive layer and is adapted for capacitive coupling to an external readout board. This provides a modular detector configuration in which the readout card and detector core can be combined freely and interchangeably. The readout board can even be removed or replaced without switching off the detector. At the same time, the configuration provides an effective protection against sparks and discharges, and in particular obliviates the need for additional protecting circuits. The configuration may be employed in any avalanche particle detector, such as the MicroMegas or GEM detectors.

Abstract: The invention relates to an improved method for fabricating the amplification gap of an avalanche particle detector in which two parallel electrodes are spaced apart by dielectric spacer elements. A foil including a bulk layer made of dielectric material sandwiched by two mutually parallel metallic electrodes is provided, and holes are formed in one of the metallic layers by means of photolithography. The amplification gap is then formed in the bulk layer by means of carefully controlled etching of the bulk material through the holes formed in one of the metallic layers. The invention not only provides a simplified fabrication process, but also results in a detector with enhanced spatial and energy resolution.

Abstract: This detector comprises a gas chamber (2) containing plane electrodes (4, 6, 8) delimiting conversion (C) and amplification (A) gaps. One of the electrodes is perforated with holes (18) and forms the detector cathode (6). The distance between the detector cathode and the anode (8) is less than 500 .mu.m. The intensity of the electric field in the amplification gap is ten times higher than the intensity of the electric field in the conversion gap. Application in particle physics, medicine, biology.