Radiation Dosimeter, Geiger–Muller Counter

This chapter discusses the purpose, principle of operation, specifications, and applications of a Geiger-Muller counter. A Geiger counter or a Geiger-Muller tube is a device used for detecting and measuring all kinds of radiation. These counters are suitable for gamma rays, cosmic rays, and X-ray measurement and as particle counters for the measurement of alpha, beta, and gamma rays. Geiger-Muller counters basically consist of three main elements: a Geiger-Muller tube, processing and display electronics, and a power supply. There are two main limitations of the Geiger counter. Because the output pulse from a Geiger-Muller tube is always the same magnitude regardless of the energy of the incident radiation, the tube cannot differentiate between radiation types. A further limitation is the inability to measure high radiation rates due to the dead time of the tube. The Geiger counter is an instrument used for radiation dosimetry, radiological protection, experimental physics, and nuclear industry.