What is produced as a result of photoelectric absorption?

Photoelectric absorption occurs when an incident photon interacts with an atom and transfers all of its energy to an inner-shell electron, which results in the electron being ejected from its orbit around the nucleus. This process leads to the creation of a vacancy in the inner shell of the atom.

As a consequence of this vacancy, an outer-shell electron transitions to fill the hole left by the ejected electron. When this transition occurs, the energy difference between the two electron shells is released in the form of a characteristic x-ray. This x-ray has a specific energy that is characteristic of the element that emitted it, hence the name "characteristic x-ray." Additionally, the atom that originally lost the inner-shell electron becomes positively charged due to the loss of the negatively charged electron, resulting in the formation of a positive ion.

This understanding aligns perfectly with the elements described in the correct choice: the ejection of an outer-shell electron, the emission of a characteristic x-ray, and the creation of a positive ion.