In characteristic interactions, what happens to the inner-shell electron?

In characteristic interactions, when an incoming high-energy photon interacts with an inner-shell electron, the energy from the photon exceeds the binding energy of that electron. This interaction results in the inner-shell electron being completely ejected from its orbit around the nucleus, meaning it is knocked out of its position.

Once the inner-shell electron is removed, the atom becomes ionized. Following this ionization, an electron from a higher energy level may transition down to fill the vacancy left by the ejected electron. This transition typically results in the release of energy in the form of a photon, but the primary event in characteristic interactions is indeed the ejection of the inner-shell electron from its orbital position due to the interaction with the incoming photon.