Reference Book:

[Richard Hull]

For those of the bent to "roll your own" counter devices. No better gut level reference can be found than:

Electron and Nuclear Counters, Serge Korff, D. Van Nostrand, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, second edition 1955.

The multiple printings and the second edition speak of massive sales. In post war america, and at the beginning of the nuclear age, business, industry, colleges and institutions were hungry for straight plain talk details on nuclear instrumentation. This included practical advice and not just pie-in-the-sky equations and theory about how "it ought to function in a perfect world".

Such a tome is this work.

Korff was director of wartime nuclear instrumentation research and development. He milled in and amongst the engineers, technicians, glass blowers and the like to produce vital instruments for the war effort in the nuclear area. Not only as a Phd did he understand the theory, but as a production oriented person he understood the catch 22s and gotchas so prone to bit a theorist in the ass which are most often solved, not by egg heads, but by engineers and techs on the line.

His first edition went through numerous printings and slight modifications until 1949. In 1955 the second edition came out and included much new material and guest sections by pros in the field. Some of the older and more dated material was, unfortunately, purged.

I have many printings and the second edition in my library and refer to them all the time.

Korff gives vast data on GM tube manufacture and discusses gases, pressures and practical problems in great detail. Tips like using only gross commercial argon gas instead of the ultra pure stuff. (the pure stuff won't count well)

These and other sage advice make this a one of a kind reference in any rad freak's library. Those obtaining the first editions will be treated to the nasty old wartime pulp paper rationed to publishers during the war and just afterwards. Oh joy, oh bliss.......

Richard Hull