On a new method for testing and calibrating wire chambers

The latent tracks caused by ionizing particles in wire chambers can be simulated by a pulsed laser beam, if molecules having appropriate ionization potential, absorption band structure and vapour pressure are admixed to the chamber gas. This can be used for chamber calibration. First tests with N2-laser light (337 nm) and Ni(C5H5)2, were extended to include several organic compounds using a pumped tunable dye laser (428-450 nm). (orig.)