Astronomy View all facts Glossary Help |
physical phenomena > event > atomic process > ionization > pressure ionization |
pressure ionization comparison table |
Subject | 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. |
pressure ionization | ionization | A state found in white dwarfs and other degenerate matter in which the atoms are packed so tightly that the electron orbits encroach on each other to the point where an electron can no longer be regarded as belonging to any particular nucleus and must be considered free. |
Next ionization: Auger transition Up: ionization Previous ionization: photoionization