streamer chamber

streamer chamber

[′strēm·ər ‚chām·bər] (nucleonics) A particle detector in which application of a pulse of about 500,000 volts for about 10 nanoseconds between the electrodes bounding the chamber accelerates the ions formed by charged particles moving through the gas filling the chamber, resulting in avalanches of similar ions and then streamers about 0.4 inch (1 centimeter) long which are photographed.