The device has a charge carrier generation unit which generates charge carriers. An acceleration device accelerates the charge carriers within housing. An exit window makes the charge carriers to escape out of the housing. A sensor unit (20) has a sensor device to capture charge carriers passing in one direction from the exit window, and another sensor device to detect the charge carriers passing in other direction of the exit window. The sensor devices independently detect measured values of the charge carriers as characteristic of the charge carriers from the exit window. An independent claim is included for a method for the sterilization of containers.
