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au·to·ionization
Definition of autoionization
: a process by which an excited atom becomes ionized and goes to a lower energy state by emitting one of two or more excited electrons that together possess energy exceeding the atom's ionization energy especially : such a process yielding an electron having an energy equivalent to that of a photon of optical wavelength — compare auger effect
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Time Traveler for autoionization
The first known use of autoionization was in 1931
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