Electron photon release

The electron in a hydrogen atom is excited to a 4[Pg.179]

Photoionization, where electrons are released by molecules following the absorption of energy from photons, has long been viewed as a non-radioactive means to ionize explosives in the vapor phase [39]. In recent years, two teams have sought to employ laser ionization with IMS for explosive determinations. A team at Implant Sciences Corporation has utilized a laser (or flash lamp) for sampling surfaces and for ionization of sample vapors in an IMS analyzer [40, 41]. In their approach, the sample is removed from a surface with an increased temperature from laser exposure. Gases (and presumably particulate matter) from over the surface are drawn into an IMS drift tube using a wall-free inlet vida supra). In the IMS drift tube, resonance multi-photon ionization by a laser is used to produce ions from the explosives. Their... 

In UHV surface spectroscopies, the electrode under investigation is bombarded by electrons, photons, or ions, and an analysis of the electrons, ions, molecules, or atoms scattered or released from the surface provides information related to the electronic and structural parameters of the atoms and ions in the interfacial region. As mentioned before, the transfer of the electrode from the electrochemical cell to the UHV chamber is a crucial step in the use of these techniques. This has motivated a few groups to build specially designed transfer systems. Pioneering work in this area was done by Hubbard s group, followed by Yeager. 

QUANTUM EFFICIENCY. A measure of the efficiency of conversion or utilization of light or other energy, being in general the ratio of the number of distinct events produced in a radiation sensitized process to the number of quanta absorbed (the intensity-distribution of the radiation in frequency or wavelength should be specified). In the photoelectric and photoconductive effects, the quantum efficiency is the number of electronic charges released for each photon absorbed. For a phototube, the quantum... 

The main parts of a scintillation counter are sketched schematically in Fig. 7.13. In the transparent crystal or liquid the radiation is absorbed and photons are emitted. At the photocathode of the photomultiplier tube the photons release electrons which are multiplied by the dynodes of the multiplier to give pulses of several mV. Some examples of solid and liquid scintillators are listed in Table 7.1. 

The mechanism by which a vibralionally excilcd species relaxes to the nearest electronic stale involves a transfer of its excess energy to other atoms in the system through a series of collisions. As noted, this process lakes place at an enormous speed. Relaxation from one electronic stale to another can also occur by collisional ttaiisfer of energy, but the rate of this process is slow enough that relaxation by photon release is favorctl. 

Therefore, for the X-ray photon released when an L electron in a specific sublevel drops down to fill a vacancy in the K shell,... 

AES measures the wavelengths of light that are emitted (or absorbed) when a sample is burned. The wavelengths of the spectral lines are unique to each element because the energy of the photon released from the atom depends on the electronic structure of the particular atom. 

AES Auger electron spectroscopy After the ejection of an electron by absorption of a photon, an atom stays behind as an unstable Ion, which relaxes by filling the hole with an electron from a higher shell. The energy released by this transition Is taken up by another electron, the Auger electron, which leaves the sample with an element-specific kinetic energy. Surface composition, depth profiles... 

There are many ways of increasing tlie equilibrium carrier population of a semiconductor. Most often tliis is done by generating electron-hole pairs as, for instance, in tlie process of absorjition of a photon witli h E. Under reasonable levels of illumination and doping, tlie generation of electron-hole pairs affects primarily the minority carrier density. However, tlie excess population of minority carriers is not stable it gradually disappears tlirough a variety of recombination processes in which an electron in tlie CB fills a hole in a VB. The excess energy E is released as a photon or phonons. The foniier case corresponds to a radiative recombination process, tlie latter to a non-radiative one. The radiative processes only rarely involve direct recombination across tlie gap. Usually, tliis type of process is assisted by shallow defects (impurities). Non-radiative recombination involves a defect-related deep level at which a carrier is trapped first, and a second transition is needed to complete tlie process. 

The lifetime of an analyte in the excited state. A, is short typically 10 -10 s for electronic excited states and 10 s for vibrational excited states. Relaxation occurs through collisions between A and other species in the sample, by photochemical reactions, and by the emission of photons. In the first process, which is called vibrational deactivation, or nonradiative relaxation, the excess energy is released as heat thus... 

Fig. 1. Photoexcitation modes iu a semiconductor having band gap energy, E, and impurity states, E. The photon energy must be sufficient to release an electron (° ) iato the conduction band (CB) or a hole (o) iato the valence band (VB) (a) an intrinsic detector (b) and (c) extrinsic donor and acceptor...

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