1. ionized by the action of photons or light radiation
Usage: technical; physics and astronomy

Examples

• The photoionized gas surrounding the young star emits characteristic spectral lines.
• Ultraviolet radiation creates a photoionized region around the hot star.
• Astronomers study photoionized nebulae to understand stellar radiation.
• The photoionized hydrogen in the interstellar medium glows brightly.
• High-energy photons produce a photoionized plasma in the accretion disk.