Neutron detector with gamma compensated cable

An illustrative embodiment of the invention describes a technique for essentially eliminating the radiation induced background currents that are generated in the cable that connects an ''in-core'' neutron detector to an electrical terminal that is outside of the reactor's radiation field. This undesirable radiation-induced cable current is suppressed through an appropriate selection of conductor and cable sheath materials and sizes that generally satisfy the equation: Z/sub l/sup n/d/sub l/ = Z/sub s/sup m/d/sub s/ where Z is the atomic number of the material; d is a characteristic of the size of the cable component; m and/n have values between 1 and 5 to express the electron emissivity of the cable component from photoelectric and Compton effects; l represents the conductor; and s represents the sheath. Thus, the radiation-generated electrons emitted from the conductor and the oppositely-directed electrons emitted from the inner surface of the cable sheath are mutually cancelled if this equation is satisfied. A typical cable that does meet this criterion at low temperatures has a centrally disposed Zircaloy-2 inner conductor of 0.011 inch diameter, an annular insulation of magnesium oxide powder compacted to 100 percent density, and an Inconel sheath with an outside diameter of 0.062 inch and 0.011 inch wall thickness. (auth)