What is the decay time of BGO scintillators?

Bismuth germanate (BGO) scintillators are widely used in PET imaging due to their effective radiation detection properties. The decay time refers to the time it takes for the scintillator to emit light in response to an incident photon. For BGO, the typical decay time is around 300 nanoseconds. This relatively long decay time allows the scintillator to effectively capture and convert high-energy gamma photons into detectable signals.

In a PET scanner, the timing characteristics of the detector materials are crucial for accurate imaging because they impact the system's ability to determine the coincident events during positron emission. The 300 ns decay time of BGO contributes to a good balance between light output and timing resolution, making it suitable for high-resolution PET applications despite the introduction of faster alternatives. Understanding these timing characteristics is important for interpreting PET scan results and enhancing the performance of the imaging system.