The influence of Coster—Kronig decay processes on the relative intensities of 2s and 2p photoelectron lines of Si, P, S, Cl, and Ca

Abstract

The relative intensities of the 2s and 2p X-ray photoelectron lines of Si, P, S, Cl, and Ca have been calculated. The influence of many-electron correlation on the line intensity was taken into account in the second order of perturbation theory. Virtual monopole excitations equally diminish the 2s and 2p intensities for a given atom. However, the dipole Coster—Kronig decay of the 2s hole ▪ and ▪ results in an asymmetrical broadening of the 2s line, a decreasing of its intensity, and an increase of binding energy. It has been shown that the deviations between theoretical relative photoionization cross-sections σ(2s)/σ(2p) and relative intensities in X-ray photoelectron spectra of atoms from Si to Ca observed earlier are a result of asymmetrical 2s line broadening owing to strong dipole relaxation of 2s holes in the Coster—Kronig channel.