A Nuclear Radiation Sensitive Switch

High intensity pulsed nuclear radiation tends to make back biased semi-conductor junctions conduct. Arma undertook the design and development of a circuit which would provide a switch opening in response to nuclear radiation pulses. The design objectives for the Radiation Sensitive Switch were that switch response should be fast, triggering should be adjustable, operation should not be impaired at high pulse intensities, reset, or switch closure, should be auto matic and at a preset time after trigge ring and switch status should be indicated. A prototype switch was designed and constructed. A number of tests were conducted in a high energy linear accelerator (LINAC) to investigate circuit performance under irradiation. The results of the tests proved that the Radiation Sensitive Switch met or exceeded all design objectives. Switch opening was sustained to pulse intensities as high as 4.8 x 1010 rad/ sec. Switch response timnes were less than 0.2 micro seconds. Reset times were constant throughout the test series. A control range of over 4 to 1 in radiation triggering threshold was achieved without changing components. A radiation sensitive switch, to provide a controlled switch opening in response to a nuclear radiation pulse has been shown to be feasible and practical.