Abstract

A magnesium oxide surface is used as an attenuator for the direct calibration of photomultiplier tubes at low intensity levels. The photomultiplier response is compared with that of a thermopile by irradiating the photocathode with a constant fraction of the total radiation striking the thermopile receiver. The beam incident upon the thermopile receiver is attenuated on the order of 1:20,000 with the MgO surface, allowing one to calibrate at anode currents of about 2 microamperes or less. Results are given for three tubes for the 2536–3663A region. The standard deviation from the mean averages 5 percent.

© 1952 Optical Society of America

Some Applications of Photomultiplier Tubes to Spectrographic Analysis

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