Decay/Deionization

Processes
Lec # 05
What is decay process?
• After ionization, ion gets combined with the detached charge and
come to neutral (normal) state which is called decay process.
The spontaneous transformation of an
unstable atomic nucleus into a lighter

Recall radioactive decay one, in which radiation is released in the

form of alpha particles, beta particles,
gamma rays, and other particles.

• The recombination/decay process involves the release of energy

(quantum of radiation).
• Decay process not only involves electron recombination with positive
ions but ion-ion recombination can also happen but at fairly high
pressure. Ion–ion recombination refers to instances where ions of
opposing polarity collide with one another, and via charge
transfer reactions, the products are neutral vapor phase species.
Decay by recombination
Whenever there are positively and negatively charged particles present,
recombination takes place. The potential energy and the relative kinetic
energy of the recombining electron–ion is released as quantum of
radiation.
Symbolically the reaction is represented as:

Am is metastable atom.
 • Energy released via recombination may be absorbed by any third
body (C).
• The third body can be another heavy particle or electron.
• Symbolically the equation is:

This represents inverse of photoionization, thus decay by

recombination is also known as inverse photoionization.
The excited atom radiates a quantum of energy of photon hγ which in turn may ionize another atom whose ionization potential
energy is equal to or less than the photon energy
The rate of recombination is proportional to the concentration of both
positive and negative ions.

For equal concentrations of positive ions n+ and negative ion n-, the
rate of recombination is:

β is recombination rate coefficient.

If n+ = n- = ni and ni=nio at t=0 and ni=ni(t), then

Integrating will yield

• The half-time duration, during which time the concentration of ions
has decreased to half its original value, is given by

• Put value of tn in equation

• This will yield

𝑛 𝑖𝑜
𝑛 𝑖 ( 𝑡 𝑛 )=
2
Decay by attachment- negative ion formation
• Certain atoms in their gaseous state can acquire a free electron to
form a stable negative ion.
• Gases, whether atomic or molecular, having this tendency are lacking
one or two electrons in their outer most shell and are known as
electronegative gases. Examples are halogens F, Cl, Br etc. and O, Se
etc. (F-fluorine, Br-bromine)
• For a negative ion to remain stable for some time, the total energy
must be lower than that of an atom in the ground state.
• The change in energy that occurs when an electron is added to a
gaseous atom/molecule is called the electron affinity (Wa). This
energy is released as a quantum or kinetic energy upon attachment.
Mobility of gaseous ions and deionization by
diffusion
Mobility:
In the presence of an electric field; charged particle in a gas will
experience a force causing them to drift with a velocity that varies
directly with the field and inversely with the density of the gas through
which it moves.
The drift velocity in the field direction of unit strength is defined as
mobility (K).

u is average drift velocity and E is the electric field strength.

Deionization by Diffusion:
• In electrical discharges whenever there is a non-uniform concentration of ions
there will be movement of ions from regions of higher concentration to regions
of lower concentration. The process by which equilibrium is achieved is called
diffusion.
• This process will cause a deionizing effect in the regions of higher concentrations
and an ionizing effect in regions of lower concentrations. The presence of walls
confining a given volume augments the deionizing effect as the ions reaching
the walls will lose/gain their charge.
• The flow of particles along the ion concentration gradient constitutes a drift
velocity similar to that of charged particles in an electric field.
• Both diffusion and mobility result in mass motion described by drift velocity
caused in one case by the net effect of unbalanced collision forces (ion
concentration gradient) and in the other case by the electric field.
THANKS