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A geiger counter measures ionizing radiation - alpha, beta and gamma (though gamma is indirect). The detector within a geiger counter is a Geiger Muller tube, it is basically a metallic gas-filled chamber with a thin wire anode running axially in the center of the tube and a cathode, the tube wall. The gas is most commonly an inert gas like the noble gases (like argon, neon). The anode is set to a very high charge compared to the tube wall. Also one end of the tube is typically has a thin mica wall or a thin glass wall to allow beta or alpha particles in. Once an alpha or beta particle enters the tube they can collide with the gas atoms forming an electron and postively charge ion. The electron speeds off to the positively charged anode while the ion accelerates to the cathode. Along the way the electron or ion can collide into other gas atoms creating more free electrons and ions and they in turn can knock other gas atoms creating an avalanche effect. The surge of electrons on the anode causes a current pulse that can be measured as a hit by a counter. In the presence of radiation sources the geiger counter's hits per second will increase significantly. As a side note gamma radiation first has to knock an electron from the side wall and it is this electron that causes the cascade.

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