A cylindrical multiwire high-pressure gas proportional chamber surrounding a gaseous $_{2} target with a mylar separation foil $6 \mu m thick

The characteristics and performances of a cylindrical multiwire proportional chamber built and used at CERN in experiment S142 for the study of the pp atom spectroscopy are presented. The chamber surrounds a high-pressure gaseous H/sub 2/ target, from which it is separated by a very thin window (6 mu m mylar foil). The active volume (90 cm long; 2 cm thick, internal diameter=30 cm) is divided into 36 equal and independent cells each covering 10 degrees in azimuth. At 4 abs. atm the detection efficiency for X-rays is higher than 20% in the whole energy range 1.5-15 keV. Typical resolutions are 35% fwhm for the 3 ke V Ar fluorescence line and 25% fwhm for the 5.5 keV /sup 54/Mn line. Working pressures from 0.5 to 16 abs. atm have been used. (8 refs).