EuTEPC: measurements in gamma and neutron fields

The EuTEPC (European TEPC) is a novel spherical tissue-equivalent gas-proportional single-wire counter that has been designed and constructed at the National Laboratories of Legnaro of Italian Nuclear Physics Institute in collaboration with the University of Padova, the DLR (German Aerospace Centre) and Austrian Institute of Technology. Its peculiarity is the spherical A-150 cathode wall which is sub-divided in nine sectors. Each sector is properly and differently biased, in order to obtain a uniform electric field along the anode wire, for reaching a good isotropic response and energy resolution. The counter components can be easily replaced and reassembled including the anode wire. The counter could be used as a monitor area inside the International Space Station. This paper describes first microdosimetric measurements in 60Co, 137Cs and 241Am-Be(a,n) gamma and neutron fields performed with the EuTEPC filled with pure propane gas. Measurements have been performed simulating sites sizes, ranging from 0.05 up to 0.25 mg cm22 in pure propane, which correspond from 0.7 up to 3.3 mm equivalent site sizes in propane–TE gas. Comparisons with some literature spectra are presented.