Improvement of Wire Chamber Resolution, Multiple Event Capability, and Other Techniques with Programmed Discharge

Spark chamber and circuit development for computer-wire chamber systems is described, based on programmed discharges added to an initial high voltage pulse. The basic principle is that the discharge caused by an ionizing particle is converted by an appropriate supply circuit to a secondary discharge, which matches without excessive energy dissipation the requirements of the electronic retrieval system, and does not diffuse beyond its original spatial extent. It is shown that it is possible to record both the x and y coordinates if a single spark without dangerous over-voltage on the detector array, and that one can hold the secondary discharge long enough to act as the sole memory element in the system. This leads to the possibility of retrieving correlated coordinates from multiple events with minimum computer time as well as improved recovery time. This work is described in various intermediate stages with emphasis on our objectives and proposed technological innovations rather than final results. Final results will be published later; it is hoped that this paper will attract suggestions as to which aspects of our work should be pursued immediately, modified, or postponed.