Auger electron spectroscopic study of the CN anion: A study of the NaCN(001) surface in comparison with CO and N 2

Abstract

We have recorded the carbon and nitrogen KVV Auger spectra of NaCN, excited with X-rays. The spectra are interpreted on the basis of ab initio many-body calculations of the double hole state energies and intensities of CN −. The nitrogen (KVV) Auger spectrum of NaCN is more similar to the N(KVV) spectrum of N 2 than the carbon (KVV) Auger spectrum of NaCN is to the C(KVV) spectrum of CO. This observation is well reproduced by the calculations. We conclude that the strong influence of the localization of the orbitals in CO on the Auger spectra has disappeared in CN −, although the delocalization is not as pronounced as in N 2. On the basis of the calculations it is possible to assign satellite structure in the N(KVV) Auger spectrum of CN −, in comparison to the N(KVV) Auger spectrum of N 2.