Photoemission in Geiger-Müller counters

Nunn May (1) has developed the theory of the mode of action of the Geiger-Müller counter in terms of the photoemission produced in the electron avalanches constituting the discharge of the tube. An avalanche of electrons in the counter produces excitation and ionization of atoms and molecules in the neighbourhood of the positive central wire: the photons liberated by these in their turn release from the walls of the counter the photoelectrons which initate the following avalanche. Direct experimental evidence that such a sequence of events may occur is to be found in the work of Greiner (2).