When conducting gamma spectroscopy, what is a scintillation detector used to measure?

In gamma spectroscopy, a scintillation detector is specifically designed to measure photon energies, which are crucial for identifying and analyzing gamma radiation emitted from radioactive sources. The scintillation process involves materials that emit light (scintillate) when they absorb high-energy photons, such as gamma rays. This emitted light is then converted into electrical signals by a photomultiplier tube or a similar device.

By analyzing the spectrum of these signals, it becomes possible to determine the energies of the incoming gamma photons with high precision. This ability to measure photon energies allows for the identification of specific isotopes based on their unique gamma-ray emission signatures.

Other measurement types listed, such as X-ray intensities, neutron flux, or electron emissions, do not accurately represent the primary function of a scintillation detector in the context of gamma spectroscopy; this technique is fundamentally focused on the interaction of gamma photons with the detector material and the subsequent characterization of the energy of those photons.