Luminosity discharger
The luminosity discharger, head lamp, or radiation valve was a device, typically appearing in twos, atop the dome of a Dalek's casing. They would light up whenever a Dalek spoke. (PROSE: Prisoner of the Daleks, Engines of War) They could also flash involuntarily in cases of shock, such as when the Tenth Doctor revealed his identity to a Command Dalek. (PROSE: Prisoner of the Daleks)
"Ironside" Daleks deployed by the British Army against the Luftwaffe had covers placed over their luminosity dischargers. These covers were removed by the time they deserted and were subsequently destroyed by the New Dalek Paradigm. (TV: Victory of the Daleks)
As a distinguishing feature
Number
One type of Skaro Degradation had a golden head dome with four radiation valves. (PROSE: Engines of War)
The red Supreme Dalek of the post-Time War New Dalek Empire was distinguished by having three luminiosity dischargers. (TV: The Stolen Earth/Journey's End) And so did its lookalike from the Dalek City on the rebuilt Skaro. (TV: The Magician's Apprentice / The Witch's Familiar)
Size
Early Daleks had small, bulb-shaped luminosity dischargers. (TV: The Daleks et al.) The Dalek Supreme of the Supreme Council was distinguished by its larger luminosity dischargers. (TV: Planet of the Daleks)
The very first Daleks ever created as well as the second generation of Daleks had small changes made as their dischargers appeared like small mini-domes. (TV: Day of the Daleks et.al.) some of these could vary in size and colour too. (TV: Destiny of the Daleks et.al.)
The white Imperial Daleks had yet another version, which appeared as small rings around small, golden and flat pieces of metal on the dome. Such luminosity dischargers were also seen atop the spherical dome of Davros' Dalek Emperor casing. (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks)
Daleks of the Last Great Time War and beyond, including the New Dalek Paradigm, had large luminosity dischargers of a size which had previously only been sported by the Supreme Council. (TV: Dalek, Victory of the Daleks)
Uniquely, the Black Dalek overseer had exceptionally short luminosity dischargers in comparison to even pre-Time War Daleks. (AUDIO: Planet of the Ogrons)
The robotic Proto-Daleks, which were constructed by the British and Germans as part of the Dalek Project during the First World War, had distinct luminosity dischargers; the British Proto-Daleks' luminosity dischargers were shaped like smaller glass hemispheres, while the German Proto-Daleks' were narrow, orange, cylindrical and larger than any true Dalek. (COMIC: The Dalek Project)
Colour
As well as size, the Dalek Supreme of the Supreme Council was distinguished by the purple colour of its luminosity dischargers. It had the unusual feature of a discharger in the eyestalk lens. (TV: Planet of the Daleks)
The Supreme Dalek of the Renegade Daleks during the Imperial-Renegade Dalek Civil War was distinguished by its luminosity dischargers, which were coloured orange. (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks)
Despite the Recon Scout's rebuilt casing having basic white dischargers, the light inside would glow yellow when it spoke. (TV: Resolution)
Exceptions
The Special Weapons Dalek notably had neither luminosity dischargers nor an eyepiece. (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks) Instead the glass just below the dome, which also functioned as its vision, would light up when it spoke. (TV: The Witch's Familiar)
As a target
Ace used a baseball bat enhanced by the Hand of Omega to destroy the right luminosity discharger of an Imperial Dalek. (TV: Remembrance of the Daleks)
A radiation valve of a Skaro Degradation was detonated when Cinder struck it with her Dalek neutraliser, however, the Dalek survived. (PROSE: Engines of War)
Behind the scenes
The Daleks seen in the theatrical film Dr. Who and the Daleks (held to be an invalid source by this Wiki) were the first to have larger luminosity dischargers. Regardless of rank, from the Black Dalek to the Red Dalek and the Blue Daleks, all luminosity dischargers were coloured red.
In Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D., the size of the luminosity dischargers remained the same, but with different colours; the Gold Dalek had matching gold luminosity dischargers, both the Black Dalek and the Red Dalek had luminosity dischargers coloured red, while the Silver Daleks had blue luminosity dischargers.
