Simple Equipment to Estimate Radiocarbon

Abstract

WE have built a low-pressure argon-alcohol counting tube of very satisfactory performance for radioactive carbon dioxide (Fig. 1). The cathode is a brass cylinder of 16 mm. diameter, 0.5 mm. thickness and 80 mm. length. A wire is soldered to the cylinder and sealed into the glass with a thermo-setting plastic (‘Araldit’, Ciba). The anode, tungsten wire of 60 µ, is kept taut by a steel spring, and again sealed in with ‘Araldit’. ‘Pyrex’ is used.