What type of detector is associated with a Geiger-Muller counter?

The Geiger-Muller counter is specifically designed to detect ionizing radiation and operates using a gas-filled detector. In this type of counter, a low-pressure gas (often noble gases like helium, neon, or argon) is contained within a tube. When ionizing radiation passes through the gas, it interacts with the gas atoms, causing ionization and a discharge of electricity. This electrical discharge generates a pulse that is counted, allowing for the detection and measurement of radiation levels.

The choice of a gas-filled detector is fundamental to the function of the Geiger-Muller counter because the presence and interaction of ionizing radiation with the gas is what allows the device to work effectively. The gas-filled nature makes it sensitive to a variety of radiation types, including beta particles and gamma rays.

While high voltage is necessary for the operation of a Geiger-Muller counter, as it creates the electric field in which the ionization process occurs, it is not the defining characteristic of the type of detector itself, which is gas-filled. Solid-state detectors and photon detection are more commonly associated with different types of radiation detection technologies, such as semiconductors or scintillation detectors, so they do not apply to the fundamental principle of a Geiger-Muller counter's