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physical phenomena > event > atomic process > ionization > autoionization |
autoionization comparison table |
Subject | has inverse process | is a kind of | has definition |
---|---|---|---|
ionization | atomic process | Loss or gain by an atom of one or more electrons, by which process the atom becomes an ion and instead of being neutral, has a charge: positive if it has lost an electron, negative if it has gained one. High temperature is particularly conducive to ionization. | |
autoionization | dielectronic recombination | ionization | A phenomenon occurring when a discrete double-excitation state of an atom lies in the ground-state continuum. In the autoionization process one of the excited electrons is ejected, leaving the ion in an excited state (see dielectronic recombination; see also Auger effect). (also called pre-ionization) |
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