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stark effect

(Science: radiobiology) The effect an electric field has on the spectral lines emitted from excited atoms.

The effect may arise from externally-applied electric fields, from internal fields due to the presence of neighboring ions or atoms (pressure), or from the electric field associated with the Lorentz (v cross B) force (motional stark effect). Spectroscopic measurements of plasmas using the pressure-based and motional Stark effects are useful for diagnostic purposes.