Ion beam

Ion beam is a stream of tiny particles called ions. Ions are atoms that have either gained or lost electrons, which makes them have an electrical charge. For example, sodium (which is an atom made of 11 protons, 11 neutrons and 11 electrons) can become either a positively charged sodium ion (it has 11 protons, 11 neutrons, and 10 electrons) or a negatively charged sodium ion (it has 11 protons, 11 neutrons, and 12 electrons).

An ion beam is made up of these charged particles and can be used in a lot of different processes and applications. For example, in medicine they are used to treat cancer by targeting the cancer cells with an intense beam of ions. This is called ion beam therapy. Ion beams can also be used in materials science to modify the structure of materials and make them stronger or to change their properties.