photoionization

A Dictionary of Astronomy | 1997 | 467 words | Copyright

photoionization The loss of an electron by an atom, ion, or molecule by the absorption of a photon. For an electron in the ground state, a photon can remove an electron if the photon's energy equals the ionization potential of the atom or molecule. Lower-energy photons may ionize the atom or molecule if it has electrons in an excited energy level. Photoionization is of importance primarily in stellar interiors and atmospheres, where the number of photons is high.

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