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| physical phenomena > event > atomic process |
| atomic process comparison table | ||
| Subject | has antonym | has definition |
|---|---|---|
| bound-bound transition | Transition between energy levels of an electron bound to a nucleus (the electron is bound both before and after the transition). | |
| bound-free transition | Transition in which a bound electron in any energy level is liberated or its reverse process. | |
| collision | ||
| free-free transition | The acceleration of an unbound (or free) electron by a proton or atomic nucleus results in the emission of electromagnetic radiation. | |
| ionization | recombination | 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. |
| recombination | ionization | The capture of an electron by a positive ion. |
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