Online Gas Gain Monitoring System

The paper presents methods and means of automated gas gain stability monitoring and registration for gaseous proportional counters. Experiments using straw-detectors require permanent monitoring of the gas gain, which depends on a set of variables. However, it is not always possible to control each parameter, so monitoring the resulting gas gain change is more optimal. To solve this problem, a monitoring system was developed that digitizes the complex influence of all factors and is designed to diagnose and debug the detector operation performance, as well as to prevent distortion of experimental data. The work of the system is based on acquiring ADC spectra of the detector response to a Fe ^55 source and on monitoring the peak position of this distribution. The peak position in the specified range of values is the main indicator of the correct operation of the detector. Using this system, useful information was obtained about the undesirable influence of some of external factors and a procedure of a complex troubleshooting was developed for the experimental stand.