PMT
Science & Engineering abbreviation · Physics
| Stands for | Photomultiplier tube |
|---|---|
| Categories | Science & Engineering |
PMT stands for Photomultiplier tube, a physics abbreviation.
Vacuum tube that detects extremely faint light, down to single photons, by releasing an electron from a photosensitive surface and multiplying it into a measurable pulse through a cascade of electrodes called dynodes. PMTs are used in particle and neutrino detectors, medical scanners and lab instruments.
Example: Super-Kamiokande's tank is lined with about 11,000 large PMTs that watch for flashes from neutrino interactions.
Usage notes
PMTs rely on the photoelectric effect, which Einstein explained in 1905. A single photoelectron can be amplified by a factor of up to about 100 million. Silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs), compact solid-state devices, are replacing PMTs in some applications.
Related abbreviations
More physics abbreviations
- maser – Microwave amplification by stimulated emission of radiation
- MHD – Magnetohydrodynamics
- NA – Avogadro constant
- NIF – National Ignition Facility
- NIR – Near-infrared
- PE – Potential energy
- QCD – Quantum chromodynamics
- QED – Quantum electrodynamics
- QFT – Quantum field theory
- QM – Quantum mechanics
- radar – Radio detection and ranging
- RF – Radio frequency