On the possible use of a commercial Penning gauge as a magnetic field sensor

Abstract: Penning sensors were originally conceived to extend the measurement range of cold-cathode gauges in the direction of low pressures by introducing an additional constant magnetic field. This paper examines the possibility of using a commercially available sensor to measure magnetic field by keeping pressure constant. For the preliminary tests reported, a commercial Penning gauge was exposed to magnetic fields in the range of a few tens of mT to 1.1T. Three different regimes were identified. In the first, up to 150mT, the measured current increases linearly with the applied magnetic field. Following a very irregular transition region of the order of 50mT, for fields between 200mT and 1.1T, the measured current decays relatively smoothly. The results suggest that the principle may be applicable for the measurement of steady-state fields in harsh environments, with high temperature and neutron fluence. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]