An Auger electron is generated when: a. A thermal neutron encounters the nucleus

Question

An Auger electron is generated when:

a. A thermal neutron encounters the nucleus of an analyte forming a compound nucleus

which decays to a radioactive nucleus with the emission of an electron.

b. The X-ray emitted when an electron moves to an electron hole in the core shell ejects an

electron from the atom.

c. An incident X-ray ejects an outer shell electron, rather than a core shell electron.

d. An electron moves to fill an electron hole in the core shell and its energy is lost as an

Auger electron.

e.X-ray fluorescence is used to study heavy elements.

Explanation / Answer

An Auger electron is generated when:

The X-ray emitted when an electron moves to an electron hole in the core shell ejects an electron from the atom.

The Auger effect is a physical phenomenon in which the filling of an inner-shell vacancy of an atom is accompanied by the emission of an electron from the same atom. When a core electron is removed, leaving a vacancy, an electron from a higher energy level may fall into the vacancy, resulting in a release of energy. Although sometimes this energy is released in the form of an emitted photon, the energy can also be transferred to another electron, which is ejected from the atom. This second ejected electron is called an Auger electron, after one of its discoverers, Pierre Victor Auger.

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