The enhancement of the rate of a spin-forbidden process by the presence of an atom of high atomic number, which is either part of, or external to, the excited molecular entity. Mechanistically, it responds to a spin-orbit coupling enhancement produced by a heavy atom.
Source:
PAC, 1996, 68, 2223
(Glossary of terms used in photochemistry (IUPAC Recommendations 1996))
on page 2245
Transformed and rewritten from PDF version (entry
http://www.iupac.org/goldbook/H02756.pdf)
by: Miloslav Nic, Jiri Jirat, Bedrich Kosata, ICT Prague, Czech Republic
