= Energy deposition
<Energy deposition> is the transfer of <energy> from incident particles or <radiation> to a specified material region during a specified time. In a detector, it can produce ionization, excitation, scintillation or <heat>. The measured signal depends on how those channels are collected and calibrated.
An energetic charged particle may deposit only part of its <energy> while crossing a thin sensor. Secondary <photons> or particles can carry <energy> out of the sensitive volume, so incident <energy> and deposited <energy> need not coincide. Conversely, a sufficiently containing calorimeter aims to collect the full shower response. Separating <energy> deposition from readout response prevents an uncalibrated pulse height from being mistaken for a direct <energy> measurement.
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