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A position-sensitive ionizing-radiation counting detector includes a radiation detector gas chamber having at least one ultra-thin chamber window and an ultra-thin first substrate contained within the gas chamber. The detector further includes a second substrate generally parallel to and coupled to

A position-sensitive ionizing-radiation counting detector includes a radiation detector gas chamber having at least one ultra-thin chamber window and an ultra-thin first substrate contained within the gas chamber. The detector further includes a second substrate generally parallel to and coupled to the first substrate and defining a gas gap between the first substrate and the second substrate. The detector further includes a discharge gas between the substrates and contained within the gas chamber, where the discharge gas is free to circulate within the gas chamber and between the first and second substrates at a given gas pressure. The detector further includes a first electrode coupled to one of the substrates and a second electrode electrically coupled to the first electrode. The detector further includes a first discharge event detector coupled to at least one of the electrodes for detecting a gas discharge counting event in the electrode.

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1. A position-sensitive ionizing-radiation counting detector comprising: a radiation detector gas chamber having at least one ultra-thin chamber window;an ultra-thin first substrate contained within the gas chamber;a second substrate generally parallel to and coupled to the first substrate and defin

1. A position-sensitive ionizing-radiation counting detector comprising: a radiation detector gas chamber having at least one ultra-thin chamber window;an ultra-thin first substrate contained within the gas chamber;a second substrate generally parallel to and coupled to the first substrate and defining a gas gap between the first substrate and the second substrate;a discharge gas between the first and second substrates and contained within the gas chamber, wherein the discharge gas is free to circulate within the gas chamber and between the first and second substrates at a given gas pressure;at least one first electrode coupled to one of the substrates;at least one second electrode electrically coupled to the first electrode;a first impedance coupled to the first electrode;a power supply coupled to at least one of the electrodes;a first discharge event detector coupled to at least one of the electrodes for detecting a gas discharge counting event in the electrode;a plurality of pixels defined by the electrodes, each pixel capable of outputting a gas discharge counting event pulse upon interaction with ionizing radiation; andcircuitry for detecting if a gas discharge counting event pulse is output from the pixels, and for counting each such gas discharge pulse as an individual event and having an approximately equal value. 2. The radiation detector of claim 1, wherein an amount of detected radiation is based on a total count of detected individual events. 3. The radiation detector of claim 1, wherein the ultra-thin chamber window comprises an ultra-thin metal foil. 4. The radiation detector of claim 1, wherein the ultra-thin chamber window comprises an ultra-thin coated polymer film. 5. The radiation detector of claim 1, wherein the first and second substrates comprise a non-conducting dielectric material. 6. The radiation detector of claim 1, wherein an internal gas pressure within the gas chamber and between the first and second substrates is approximately the same as an external ambient gas pressure. 7. The radiation detector of claim 1, wherein an internal gas pressure within the gas chamber and between the first and second substrates is less than an external ambient gas pressure. 8. The radiation detector of claim 1, wherein an internal gas pressure within the gas chamber and between the first and second substrates is greater than an external ambient gas pressure. 9. The radiation detector of claim 1, wherein the second substrate is an ultra-thin substrate. 10. The radiation detector of claim 9, wherein the gas chamber has a second ultra-thin chamber window parallel to the first ultra-thin chamber window and located on an opposite chamber wall. 11. The radiation detector of claim 1, wherein the gas within the gas chamber is sealed within the gas chamber. 12. The radiation detector of claim 1, wherein the gas within the gas chamber can be controlled to flow through the gas chamber. 13. The radiation detector of claim 12, wherein the gas within the gas chamber can be dynamically controlled to be at ambient pressure. 14. The radiation detector of claim 1, wherein the power supply is a direct current power supply. 15. The radiation detector of claim 1, wherein the second electrode is coupled to a second impedance. 16. The radiation detector of claim 1, wherein the second electrode is coupled to a second discharge event detector. 17. The radiation counting detector of claim 15, wherein the first electrode is coupled to the first discharge event detector and the second electrode is coupled to second discharge event detector for detecting the gas discharge counting event in the electrodes. 18. The radiation counting detector of claim 17, further comprising: time-stamp circuitry coupled to the first electrode and the second electrode that time-stamps individual radiation counting events detected by the first discharge event detector and the second discharge event detector. 19. The radiation detector of claim 1, further comprising an internal grid-support structure between the first and second substrates for physically isolating the pixels. 20. The radiation detector of claim 1, wherein the first electrode is an X-electrode and the second electrode is a Y-electrode. 21. The radiation detector of claim 1, wherein the location of an individual gas discharge counting event pulse is given by the X-electrode and the Y-electrode. 22. The radiation detector of claim 1, wherein a gas discharge between the first and second electrodes is a columnar-discharge shape. 23. The radiation detector of claim 1, wherein a gas discharge between the first and second electrodes is a surface-discharge shape. 24. The radiation detector of claim 1, further comprising a current-limiting impedance coupled in series with each of the pixels. 25. The radiation detector of claim 1, further comprising a current-limiting impedance coupled in series with each of the first electrodes. 26. The radiation detector of claim 9, wherein the first and second substrates compromise an internal radiation detector within the gas chamber. 27. The radiation detector of claim 26, wherein a plurality of the internal radiation detectors form a vertical stack within the gas chamber. 28. The radiation detector of claim 27, wherein the vertical stack of internal radiation detectors within the gas chamber form a particle tracking detector. 29. The particle tracking detector of claim 28, wherein the gas chamber comprises a second ultra-thin chamber window parallel to the first ultra-thin chamber window and located on an opposite chamber wall. 30. A method of detecting ionizing-radiation based on a counting of gas discharge events, the method comprising: receiving ionizing-radiation at an ultra-thin first substrate coupled to a second substrate forming an ultra-thin internal plasma panel radiation detector located within an ultra-thin window gas chamber;creating at least one ion-pair in a gas contained within a gas gap between the first and second substrates;causing a gas-discharge event at a pixel site of the plasma panel, each pixel site defined by an anode and cathode, wherein the discharge event is isolated; andcounting a plurality of the events at a pulse detector coupled to either an anode or a cathode, wherein each of the events is counted as approximately an equal value. 31. A method of tracking individual ionizing-particles based on detecting the position of individual gas discharge events, the method comprising: receiving ionizing-radiation at an ultra-thin first substrate coupled to a second ultra-thin substrate forming a first ultra-thin internal plasma panel radiation detector located within an ultra-thin window gas chamber;creating at least one ion-pair in a gas contained within a gas gap between the first and second substrates of the first ultra-thin internal plasma panel radiation detector;causing a gas-discharge event at a pixel site of the first ultra-thin plasma panel, each pixel site defined by an anode and cathode, wherein the discharge event is isolated and each event is counted as having approximately a same value;the ionizing-particle then causing a second such gas-discharge event at a pixel site of a second ultra-thin plasma panel vertically stacked beneath the first panel and within the same ultra-thin window gas chamber enclosure; andrecording the position of the gas discharge pulse events by at least one discharge event detector coupled to each ultra-thin plasma panel within the ultra-thin window gas chamber enclosure.