Electron Configuration After Photoelectric Effect

[The_ArtofScience]

I'm not very well versed in the photoelectric effect, but as it happens, I found a brief description of it in my chem book. I'm really curious to know what really occurs to an atom's configuration right after its exposed to light. Let's say a photon hits a Zinc atom at threshold level and its expected for 2 electrons to be ejected. If it ejects one electron from 4s and one from 3d, what really happens to the atom? How does its behavior change?

Thanks

 

[Rajini]

i think the surface of the metal (zinc) modifies a bit...The effect is used mainly for surface analysis...photoelectron spectroscopy...
i hope member of this forum would give a more detailed explanation...

 

[Rajini]

Also it leads to auger electrons...and subsequent filling of electrons...a very fast process

 

[ZapperZ]

This question is a bit vague, because it is asking about the "photoelectric effect" that normally is done on SOLIDS, ie. metallic surfaces. Yet, it is asking as if it is a "photoionization" problem since it is on "atoms".

Again, in solids, atoms tend to lose their "individuality" and forms properties that are more collective in behavior that aren't found when they are separated. So the photoelectric effect that we are familiar with is a collective effect as the result of electron emission from the conduction band of the solid (individual atoms have no "bands").

Or maybe this person is asking about core-level photoemission? Hard to tell.

So until this issue is cleared up, there's no way to answer this question.

Zz.

 

[The_ArtofScience]

This question is a bit vague, because it is asking about the "photoelectric effect" that normally is done on SOLIDS, ie. metallic surfaces. Yet, it is asking as if it is a "photoionization" problem since it is on "atoms".

Again, in solids, atoms tend to lose their "individuality" and forms properties that are more collective in behavior that aren't found when they are separated. So the photoelectric effect that we are familiar with is a collective effect as the result of electron emission from the conduction band of the solid (individual atoms have no "bands").

Or maybe this person is asking about core-level photoemission? Hard to tell.

So until this issue is cleared up, there's no way to answer this question.

Zz.

Sorry for the long wait, I was busy with prepping up for some placement test. Yes, I am talking about core-level photoemission. I did some research on the terms you've used and forgive me for the lack of knowledge I have in solid-state physics, but I don't think there is much of a conflict between the collective effect vs. what happens at the atomic level. Can you tell me why these two aren't compatible?

 

[ZapperZ]

Sorry for the long wait, I was busy with prepping up for some placement test. Yes, I am talking about core-level photoemission. I did some research on the terms you've used and forgive me for the lack of knowledge I have in solid-state physics, but I don't think there is much of a conflict between the collective effect vs. what happens at the atomic level. Can you tell me why these two aren't compatible?

I just did. Atoms have no "band". Metals (and band solids) do! Atoms have no "Fermi energy", metals do! If you do a standard photoionization experiment on atoms, do you think you'll get something that looks like my avatar on the left that shows a continuous dispersion curve?

Zz.