Gei·ger counter (g  g r)n. An instrument that detects and measures the intensity of radiation, such as particles from radioactive material, consisting of a Geiger tube and associated electronic equipment. Also called Geiger-Müller counter. [After Hans Wilhelm Geiger (1882-1945), German physicist.] |
Geiger counter, Geiger-Müller counter [ˈgaɪgəˈmʊlə]
n
(Physics / General Physics) an instrument for detecting and measuring the intensity of ionizing radiation. It consists of a gas-filled tube containing a fine wire anode along the axis of a cylindrical cathode with a potential difference of several hundred volts. Any particle or photon which ionizes any number of gas molecules in the tube causes a discharge which is registered by electronic equipment. The magnitude of the discharge does not depend upon the nature or the energy of the ionizing particle Compare proportional counter
[named after Hans Geiger (1882-1945), German physicist and W. Müller, 20th-century German physicist]
| Geiger counter An electronic instrument that detects and measures nuclear radiation, such as x-rays or gamma rays. The Geiger counter consists of a gas-filled tube with a charged electrode connected to a counter. As radiation passes through the gas it ionizes atoms along its path. The ions are attracted to the charged electrode, creating pulses of electric current that are registered by the counter. |
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  Geiger counter - counter tube that detects ionizing radiationscounter tube - a measuring instrument for counting individual ionizing events Geiger tube, Geiger-Muller tube - an ionization chamber contained in a tube in a Geiger counter |
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