After the energy of the incident radiation is absorbed and converted into so-called hot electrons and holes in the material, these energetic charge carriers will interact with other particles and quasi-particles in the scintillator (electrons, plasmons, phonons), leading to an "avalanche event", where a great number of secondary electron–hole pairs are produced until the hot electrons and holes have lost sufficient energy. The large number of electrons and holes that result from this process will then undergo thermalization, i.e. dissipation of part of their energy through interaction with phonons in the material