Radiation-Induced Phenomena In Air: Ionization and Fluorescence

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

9-21-2007

Department

Physics and Astronomy

School

Mathematics and Natural Sciences

Abstract

Gamma rays induce ionization and fluorescence in the surrounding air. On the premise that the radiation may therefore be detected using these radiation-induced phenomena, we perform a Monte Carlo simulation to find out how the electron-emitting and photon-emitting molecular sites are distributed around the source. Focusing on the second positive and the first negative UV photons from the nitrogen molecules, the fluorescing sites are distributed following the pattern of r−β with β=1.4 for 0<r<1 m, but with β=2.04 for 1 m<r<120 m. For r>120 m, the distribution falls more rapidly than can be described with a power law. Nearly the same pattern of distribution prevails for the ionizing molecular sites.

Publication Title

Nuclear Instruments & Methods In Physics Research Section A-Accelerators Spectrometers Detectors and Associated Equipment

Volume

580

Issue

1

First Page

254

Last Page

257

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