Interaction with Auger continua as a source of atomic-energy-level shifts

Abstract

Energy shifts of atomic inner-shell vacancy states caused by interaction with Auger and Coster-Kronig continua are considered. Numerical calculations for the $L$ shell show that ${L}_{2}$- and ${L}_{3}$-subshell-energy shifts due to this effect are negligible, while the ${L}_{1}$-level shift is substantial ($\ensuremath{\sim}\ensuremath{-}4$ eV for $30l~Zl~47$). This [$2s$] vacancy-state shift is dominated by the interaction with $[\mathrm{LM}]\ensuremath{\epsilon}l$ Coster-Kronig continua and brings ab initio self-consistent-field calculations into satisfactory agreement with experiment, for atoms lighter than Sn. For atomic numbers above $Z\ensuremath{\cong}50$, discrepancies remain that may be results of errors in quantum-electrodynamic corrections.