Multiple ionization and x-ray line emission resulting from inner-shell electron ionization.

Abstract

We report an application of our previously developed model for determining the probabilities P(${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{N}$,${N}_{A}$) of emitting ${N}_{A}$ Auger electrons and the probabilities P(${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{N}$,${\ensuremath{\beta}}_{N}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{N}$) of the radiative transitions ${\ensuremath{\beta}}_{N}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${\ensuremath{\gamma}}_{N}$ during the cascade decay process following the creation of an arbitrary distribution ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{N}$ of N vacancies among the nl subshells of an atomic system. Particular emphasis has been given to the effects of single inner-shell vacancies, which may be created by energetic charged-particle collisions or by x-ray photoionization. Results of calculations are presented for single inner-shell electron ionization of iron ions from the neutral atom through the heliumlike ionization state, taking into account all of the Auger, Coster-Kronig, and electric dipole radiative transitions which can occur during the inner-shell vacancy-cascade process. The importance of the multiple ionization which results from Auger electron emission and of the x-ray satellite line radiation which is produced by the radiative decay of multiple-vacancy states is investigated for inner-shell electron ionization by electron collisions and by photon impacts.