Two-electron process in which an electron in a less bound state makes a transition to a vacant shell with lower energy. The energy gained in this process is transferred to another bound electron which escapes the atom (Auger electron). The Auger effect is the base of Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), a method for the caracterization of atoms on surfaces and their valence states, especially of "light" elements such as carbon, nitrogen and boron.
