LIVE-TIMER METHOD OF AUTOMATIC DEAD-TIME CORRECTION FOR PRECISION COUNTING

Several applications of live-timer count correction are discussed with regard to the precision and statistical accuracy of results obtained. The method is compared to conventional real-time operation with subsequent formula correction. For straightforward high-precision counting, the live-timer method is believed to be superior. Counting of sources which decay appreciably during the count, sometimes thought to be a case where automatic live-timer correction fails, can be accomplished by choosing a certain readily calculable ratio of clock inhibit duration to paralysis. Similarly, coincidence counting with different channel paralyses is found to be amenable to live-timer correction, with a resulting precision which exceeds that of formula corrections. © 1969 The American Institute of Physics.