Work of a multi-cathode counter in a single electron counting mode

TL;DR

This paper presents a multi-cathode counter designed for single electron counting, detailing its calibration, operation in different configurations, and advantages in measuring electron emission from metal surfaces.

Contribution

It introduces a novel multi-cathode counter design and a method to measure electron emission rates by comparing two configurations, enhancing single electron detection capabilities.

Findings

Counter calibration spectra obtained

Gas amplification coefficient determined

Effective measurement of electron emission from cathodes

Abstract

We describe a work of a multi-cathode counter of the developed design in a single electron counting mode with a cathode made of aluminum alloy. The results of the calibration of the counter are presented. The coefficient of gas amplification was found from the calibration spectra. The electric fields and operation of this detector in two configurations are described and the original idea to find the effect from electrons emitted from the surface of a cathode by difference of the rates measured in two volume configurations is expounded. Furthermore, the advantage of using a multi-cathode counter for measurement of the intensity of single electron emission from a metal is explained.