2. Measurement types and definitions

Before studying the operating principle of a detector in detail, it's important to specify the different ways of detecting radiation, as these can dictate the choice of detector to be used. In nuclear physics, two main detection modes can be identified ⁽²⁾ : the "pulse" mode and the "current" mode.

These are illustrated in figure 2 . A particle entering a detector will induce a short or long current pulse at its terminals, depending on the charges generated....