Radiation DetectorsCIRCUITRY AND CIRCUIT ELEMENTSDecadesPerMinute(DPM)Rate circuits are important in the source and intermediate ranges. Rate information isdisplayed on a meter in decades per minute. These meters indicate how fast reactorpower is changing in decades (power of 10) in each minute.ScalarThis term refers to a measurement or quantity that is capable of being represented on ascale (i.e., neutron flux on source range, intermediate range, and power range meters).ComponentsThree ranges are used to monitor the power level of a reactor throughout the full range of reactoroperation: source range, intermediate range, and power range. The source range normally usesa proportional counter, while the intermediate and power ranges use ionization chambers. Acompensated ion chamber is used for the intermediate range. The power range uses anuncompensated ion chamber. Each of the three different ranges makes use of some or all of thefollowing types of components.PreamplifiersandAmplifiersRadiation detector output signals are usually weak and require amplification before theycan be used. In radiation detection circuits, the nature of the input pulse anddiscriminator determines the characteristics that the preamplifier and amplifier must have.Two stages of amplification are used in most detection circuits to increase the signal-to-noise ratio.Rev. 0 Page 57 IC-06
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