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Excitation-Energy-Dependent Resonances in Soft X-Ray Appearance Potential Spectra of the Cerium 4d- and 3d-Electron Levels

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 March 2019

M. B. Chamberlain*
Affiliation:
Air Force Materials Laboratory, MBM, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio 45433
W. L. Baun
Affiliation:
Air Force Materials Laboratory, MBM, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio 45433
*
*Presently at McDonnell Douglas Research Laboratories, P.O. Box 516, St. Louis, Mo. 63166
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Abstract

When the excitation energy lies near the ionization potential of many core electrons, core-hole relaxation effects strongly affect x-ray emissions. Under near-threshold electron excitation of the cerium 4d subshell both the incident electron and a 4d-core electron are promoted into 4f-orbital excitation states which exist only during the life of and are bound to the 4d vacancy. The exchange interaction between the 4d hole and the excited electrons in the unfilled 4f subshe11 spreads the energies of the discrete excitation states over a 20eV range sending some levels well below the 4d threshold and others into the continuum. Exchange interactions and potential barrier effects have a dominant influence upon the cerium 4d and 3d soft x-ray appearance potential spectra reported in this paper. We observe sub-threshold x rays extending to 8.6eV below the binding energy of the 4d level as well as a maximum in the yield at 12eV above the 4d onset. As the electron excitation energy is swept through the thresholds of the two 3d levels we observe resonant x-ray emissions, while at 28eV above these levels we see plasmon loss structures.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © International Centre for Diffraction Data 1974

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