On the angular distribution of Auger electrons following impact ionization

Abstract

Auger electrons following an ionization by a beam of unpolarized electrons or protons in an inner shell j>1/2 will have, in principle, a nonisotropic angular distribution depending on the relative population P( mod M mod ) of magnetic substates m of the ionized atom and the Auger transition itself. Formulae for the general case of angular distribution have been derived. In the special case of atomic state J"=0 after the Auger transition, the angular distribution depends only on the relative population P( mod M mod ) of magnetic substates M. For the angular distributions of the L3M2,3M2,3(1S0) transition of argon and M4N4,5N4,5( 1S0) and M5N4,5N4,5( 1S0) tranitions of krypton numerical results have been derived using electron impact ionization cross sections of magnetic substates calculated by McFarlane (1972) and Omidvar (1972).