Statistics of the scintillation output using a combined x-ray/electron/optical Monte Carlo method

Aldo Badano; Josep Sempau; Robert J. Jennings

doi:10.1117/12.596724

20 April 2005 Statistics of the scintillation output using a combined x-ray/electron/optical Monte Carlo method

Aldo Badano, Josep Sempau, Robert J. Jennings

Proceedings Volume 5745, Medical Imaging 2005: Physics of Medical Imaging; (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.596724
Event: Medical Imaging, 2005, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

Simulations of digital imaging systems based on scintillator screens usually employ a Poisson model for the phosphor conversion gain. However, the statistics of the scintillation output are determined by complex phenomena that involve many sources of variability including inhomogeneities in the crystalline and screen structure, variations in the deposited energy for each primary quantum available for excitation, variations in the relationship between radiate and non-radiative decay processes, energy dependencies in the conversion gain variance, and spread of secondary quanta. We use a combined x-ray/electron/optical Monte Carlo code to study the statistics of the scintillation output in columnar phosphors. The simulation code is the result of merging the x-ray transport code PENELOPE and the optical transport code DETECT-II. Using an improved geometric model for the columnar structure, we present results concerning pulse-height spectra of the scintillation output (and corresponding Swank factors) as a function of x-ray energy. This study improves our understanding of the underlying causes of conversion gain variations and should facilitate more accurate simulation efforts for the investigation and optimization of image acquisition systems based on scintillator screens.

Citation Download Citation

Aldo Badano, Josep Sempau, and Robert J. Jennings "Statistics of the scintillation output using a combined x-ray/electron/optical Monte Carlo method", Proc. SPIE 5745, Medical Imaging 2005: Physics of Medical Imaging, (20 April 2005); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.596724

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