Experimental Study of the $w$-Values and Fano Factors of Gaseous Xenon and Ar-Xe Mixtures for X-Rays

Abstract

An experimental study of the w -values and Fano factors for Ar-Xe gaseous mixtures at atmospheric pressures for 5.895 keV X-rays was carried out with two experimental set-ups based on gas proportional scintillation counter techniques. For the 100% Xe, Ar-40% Xe, Ar-20% Xe and Ar-10% Xe mixtures at 800 Torr the measured w-values were 21.61 eV, 21.63 eV, 21.64 eV and 21.42 eV, respectively, within an accuracy of plusmn0.21 eV. For the same mixtures the Fano factors were 0.254, 0.258, 0.250 and 0.256, respectively, within an accuracy of about plusmn0.004. For lower Xe concentrations of 5%, 3% and 1% the Fano factors were ap0.24, ap0.23 and ap0.22, respectively. These experimental results are compared with those available in the literature.