Ion Pair

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Ion Pair

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The pair of ions, one positively and the other negatively charged, formed by the ionization of an initially neutral gas atom when it collides with a high-energy particle. </dd>
It is customary to measure the ionizing efficiency of cosmic rays and radioactive materials in terms of the number of ion pairs they produce each second in 1 cubic centimeter of air. The symbol I is usually employed to designate the formation of one ion pair per cubic centimeter per second. Thus, cosmic rays are said to yield about 21 at sea level, and alpha particles from the radioactive gases contribute about 51 over land areas at the surface. [[/a>|/a> ]]

References

This article is based on NASA's Dictionary of Technical Terms for Aerospace Use