Satellite and hypersatellite structures ofLα1,2andLβ1x-ray transitions in mid-Zatoms multiply ionized by fast oxygen ions

Abstract

A detailed investigation of the $L{\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{1,2}$ (${L}_{3}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{M}_{4,5}$) and $L{\ensuremath{\beta}}_{1}$ (${L}_{2}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{M}_{4}$) x-ray satellite and hypersatellite structures in zirconium, molybdenum, and palladium atoms multiply ionized by impact with 278.6-MeV oxygen ions is reported. The x-ray spectra were measured with a high-resolution von Hamos bent crystal spectrometer. For the interpretation of the complex spectral features, relativistic multiconfiguration Dirac-Fock calculations were performed for all multivacancy configurations expected to contribute to the observed spectra. The data analysis clearly demonstrates that the spectra are dominated by structures originating from (${L}^{\ensuremath{-}1}{M}^{\ensuremath{-}m}{N}^{\ensuremath{-}n}$) satellite and (${L}^{\ensuremath{-}2}{M}^{\ensuremath{-}m}{N}^{\ensuremath{-}n}$) hypersatellite transitions corresponding to the radiative decay of the excited multivacancy configurations. The ionization probabilities of the $L$ and $M$ shell were determined from the data and compared with theoretical predictions from the geometrical model and the semiclassical approximation, using in the latter case both relativistic hydrogenlike and self-consistent Dirac-Hartree-Fock wave functions. The results support the independent electron picture of the multiple ionization. They also show the importance of using relativistic and self-consistent electronic wave functions for the $L$ and $M$ shells.