A Correlation Counter Based on an Oscilloscope and a Computer

Abstract

A low-cost two-channel correlation and autocorrelation counter has been developed for analyzing photon pulses from photomultiplier tubes. It includes a digital oscilloscope with the function of signal storage and transmission and a computer used to set the thresholds and to count pulses and their correlations. The time resolution determined by the oscilloscope is half of the shortest digitization time, i.e., 1 ns in our case. The counter may find application in nuclear physics and laser location. Short sonoluminescence pulses are investigated in our study.