Pulse Shape Measurement Using Golay Detector

The article discusses key physical processes within the active area of an optoacoustic detector. Said area is a xenon-filled chamber subdivided into two cavities connected by a narrow channel. Original mathematical model of such area is proposed on the basis of thermodynamic processes that occur within. A method has been developed to measure a shape of a periodic pulse exceeding 0.5 ms duration at repetition rates ranging from zero to several hundred Hz. The measurement requires knowledge of a set of parameters describing a specific instrument. Principal points of detector calibration are discussed in brief.