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Glite Dictionary
secondary emission

secondary emission

8.9
Electrons that a surface sends out when hit by fast electrons or charged particles
  • noun
  • /ˈsɛkəndˌɛri ɪˈmɪʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : emisión secundaria
  • The discovery of secondary emission was crucial in the development of modern electron tubes and amplifiers.

Examples

  • Researchers study secondary emission to improve the efficiency of electron microscopes used in material science.

  • Secondary emission occurs when secondary emission is produced from a surface after being struck by high-energy particles.

  • In addition to direct-source emissions, secondary emissions such as the re-entrainment (re-suspension) of paved roadway dust were considered, as they contribute to the generation of airborne particulates.

    Academic text (2002)

Surface Forms

secondary emission singular
secondary emissions plural

Morphology

secondary + emission

Both constituents are semantically transparent: 'secondary' means not primary or occurring as a follow-up, and 'emission' means releasing something. A B1 learner who knows those words can infer that 'secondary emission' denotes an emission that happens as a consequence of a prior event (even if they would not know the specific technical detail that it refers to electrons struck by primary particles).

Etymology

Secondary emission makes a simple picture: one fast particle hits a surface and that hit makes other electrons come out. The word secondary means 'after' or 'caused by the first' and emission means 'sending out', so the phrase means electrons are sent out because of an earlier hit.