Optimizing 3He tube design for various operational conditions: A review of the design parameters of 3He gas proportional counters used for neutron detection

Gas filled cylindrical proportional counters are long established and widely used for the detection of thermal neutrons. The practical and pragmatic issues involved in the construction of such counters remains partly as the undocumented lore and art of a few manufacturers. In this paper we present our experience as a guide to a better understanding of the constraints within which counters and their gas fillings may be chosen to satisfy operational requirements for a wide range of conditions including high count rates and high gamma backgrounds.