Metastable Atom

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Metastable Atom

</dt>
An atom with an electron excited to an energy level where simple radiation is forbidden and thus the atom is momentarily stable. See forbidden line. </dd>
The presence of these metastable atoms in a discharge is the cause of several anomalous effects since in essence they are storing energy which can be released to other particles upon collision. The Penning effect is a result of the presence of metastable atoms. [[/a>|/a> ]]

References

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