Ions and recombination?

CloudChamber

Is there any way to cataclyze the recombination of oppositely charged ions? I'm wondering if an effective method exists.
Thanks all!

mathman

You need to define the context. When opposite charged ions near each other, they usually combine.

CloudChamber

I know that cations and anions usually, by Coulomb's law, recombine. However, I was wondering if a force could applied to ensure and hasten this attraction. I was thinking about it in the context of ionizing radiation and free radicals.

ImaLooser

I don't know, but there could be some clever way to use an EM field to increase the speed of recombination by concentrating the charged particles.

Bob S

Some gases with hasten the recombination (quench) of electrons and positive ions in gas-type particle detectors. See for example http://arxiv.org/pdf/0904.4421.pdf and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geiger%...C3%BCller_tube.