The term "latent image" is used to describe the:

The term "latent image" refers to the stored energy within the fluorohalides in digital radiography. This energy is created when x-rays interact with the photostimulable phosphor material in the imaging plate. When the exposure occurs, the energy from the x-rays is absorbed by the crystals in the phosphor, resulting in a change in the electron state of the atoms, which stores the image information as a latent image.

This latent image is not immediately visible; it requires subsequent processing to convert the stored energy into a visible image that can be interpreted by radiologists. Thus, understanding the concept of the latent image is crucial in digital radiography, as it describes the initial stage of image formation before processing makes it visible.

The other options do not accurately describe the latent image. The processed image output is the final result after the latent image has been developed, the visible image on the receptor is what the medical professional evaluates, and interference patterns relate more to phenomena in other areas of imaging or physics, making them unrelated to the concept of the latent image in this context.