Home Dictionary Sscintillator

scintillator

A material that exhibits luminescence when excited by ionizing radiation, converting the energy of the radiation into flashes of light.

Noun

pl: scintillators

This term is primarily used in the fields of nuclear physics, medical imaging, and radiation detection. It describes a specific functional component of a detector system rather than a general light source. The term carries a highly technical register and is rarely encountered outside of scientific or engineering contexts.

In practical application, the word refers to the physical medium—such as certain crystals or plastics—that facilitates the conversion of high-energy particles into detectable photons. It is distinct from a "scintillation counter," which refers to the entire device including the scintillator material and the electronic circuitry used to count the light pulses.

Meanings

Noun

A material that exhibits luminescence when excited by ionizing radiation, converting the energy of the radiation into flashes of light.

The detector uses a sodium iodide scintillator to identify gamma rays.

Examples

The detector uses a sodium iodide scintillator to capture gamma rays.

We need to replace the plastic scintillator because it has degraded over time.

I wonder if a liquid scintillator would provide better resolution for this experiment.

The light produced by the scintillator is then amplified by a photomultiplier tube.

Check the coupling between the scintillator and the optical fiber.

This new inorganic scintillator is much more efficient than the previous model.

The PET scan relies on a ring of scintillators to detect coincident photons.

Health

Wait, did you calibrate the scintillator before starting the run?

School Life

A thin layer of scintillator material was deposited onto the substrate.

Last Updated: May 2026•Report an Error