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A new approach to ionizing radiation detection is proposed. The amount of ionization produced in a detector medium is measured by the heat generated as the charged carriers are drifted across the device under an applied voltage. The amount of energy generated can be orders of magnitude larger than that deposited by the radiation itself. A dramatic increase in detector mass can be achieved compared to simple calorimetric particle detectors for equivalent energy thresholds. It is possible to obtain a sensitivity level sufficient for single-carrier detection. The principle of operation has been demonstrated with an experimental device operated at a temperature of 1.8 K, and improved performance is expected at lower temperatures.
P.N. Luke (Thu,) studied this question.