spark chamber


noun Physics.

a device for detecting elementary particles, consisting of a series of charged plates separated by a gas so that the passage of a charged particle causes sparking between adjacent plates.

Origin of spark chamber

First recorded in 1960–65

British Dictionary definitions for spark chamber

spark chamber

noun

physics a device for detecting ionizing radiation, consisting of two oppositely charged metal plates in a chamber containing inert gas, so that a particle passing through the chamber ionizes the gas and causes a spark to jump between the electrodes