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Emission, in physics, refers to the release of energy or particles from a substance. This can occur in several ways:

  • Spontaneous Emission: An atom in an excited, high-energy state releases a photon and transitions to a lower energy state. This is a probabilistic event, typically happening within 10-9 to 10-8 seconds.1
  • Stimulated Emission: The presence of a photon with specific energy can trigger an excited atom to emit an identical photon, transitioning to a lower energy state. This process is crucial for technologies like lasers.23
  • Electron Emission: Electrons are released from a substance through processes like photoelectric, thermionic, or radioactive activity, or solely due to an electric field (field emission).45

Emission can also refer to electromagnetic radiation from celestial bodies or substances discharged into the air.67

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