Calorimeter - Definition

Calorimeter

An instrument that measures the energy of a particle or photon through the amount of heat the particle or photon deposits in a material.

In particle physics, a calorimeter is an experimental apparatus that measures the energy of particles. Most particles enter the calorimeter and initiate a particle shower and the particles' energy is deposited in the calorimeter, collected, and measured. The energy may be measured in its entirety, requiring total containment of the particle shower, or it may be sampled. Typically, calorimeters are segmented transversely to provide information about the direction of the particle or particles, as well as the energy deposited, and longitudinal segmentation can provide information about the identity of the particle based on the shape of the shower as it develops.Calorimetry design is an active area of research in particle physics.

Source: wikipedia, NASA