Investigation of cables for ionization chambers

Seven coaxial cables which are in use for carrying currents generated in ionization chambers have been critically studied with reference to their suitability to this application. Included in this study are four low-noise triaxial cables and three low-noise two-conductor cables. For each cable the following characteristics were considered: inherent noise currents, currents produced by cable movements, polarization currents, the degree of electrostatic shielding of the central signal-carrying conductor, and radiation-induced cable currents. The study indicated that of the seven cables, two low-noise triaxial cables, both employing solid Teflon dielectric surrounding the central conductor, appear to offer the best overall performance for use with ionization chambers.