Comparison of Performance of Scintillation Detectors based on different

We present a performance comparison of photomultiplier tubes and various silicon detectors used as photodetectors of the scintillation light from La2Br3:Ce, a new cerium doped halide scintillator, in position sensitive gamma ray detectors. The terms of comparison (spatial resolution and energy resolution) and the theoretical background at the basis of their definition are introduced, creating a clear framework for the presentation of a comparison and the development of an analytical method. The material used and the tools developed to simulate and compare the behaviours of scintillation detectors based on the different photodetectors are described, and the results in terms of both energy resolution and spatial resolution obtained with the same tools are presented. Practical issues for the different scintillation detectors are also discussed. Finally, we present a brief review on the state of the art in the development of a particular class of silicon detectors, namely the silicon drift detectors, and introduce a meaningful variety of their prospective applications as scintillation detectors foreseen in the future