Which component directly detects the scintillation light produced in the crystal?

Which component directly detects the scintillation light produced in the crystal?

• A. Crystal
• B. Photodetectors (PMTs or photodiodes)
• C. Light pipe
• D. Collimator

Answer: (B)

The light produced in the crystal when a gamma interacts is detected by photodetectors. These devices, such as photomultiplier tubes or photodiodes, directly convert the scintillation photons into an electrical signal that can be analyzed for energy and timing. The crystal itself is what generates the light, not detect it. A light pipe may guide that light toward the detector, but it doesn’t detect it. A collimator shapes the incoming radiation, again not the light from the crystal. So the direct detection of the scintillation light is performed by the photodetectors.

The light produced in the crystal when a gamma interacts is detected by photodetectors. These devices, such as photomultiplier tubes or photodiodes, directly convert the scintillation photons into an electrical signal that can be analyzed for energy and timing. The crystal itself is what generates the light, not detect it. A light pipe may guide that light toward the detector, but it doesn’t detect it. A collimator shapes the incoming radiation, again not the light from the crystal. So the direct detection of the scintillation light is performed by the photodetectors.