Auger effect [oh-zhey] Word Origin noun Physics.
- a nonradiative process in which an atom in an excited state undergoes a transition to a lower state by the emission of a bound electron (Auger electron) rather than by the emission of an x-ray.
Origin of Auger effect 1930–35; named after Pierre V. Auger (born 1899), French physicistAlso called autoionization. British Dictionary definitions for auger effect Auger effect noun
- the spontaneous emission of an electron instead of a photon by an excited ion as a result of a vacancy being filled in an inner electron shell
Word Origin for Auger effect C20: named after Pierre Auger (1899–1993), French physicist