¦ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ ˌ noun
Etymology: aut- + ionization
: a process by which an excited atom becomes ionized and goes to a lower energy state by emitting one of two or more excited electrons that together possess energy exceeding the atom's ionization energy ; especially : such a process yielding an electron having an energy equivalent to that of a photon of optical wavelength — compare auger effect in the Dict
• au·to·ionize "ˌ verb