Two-photon coincidence studies of highly-charged ion relaxation in solids

• We studied the relaxation of hollow atoms by two-photon transitions during the stopping of slow (E=8.5q keV) highly charged Pbq+ (q=53-58) ions in a thin Ta foil. The X-rays emitted during the relaxation process were detected in coincidence with two Si(Li) detectors. Particular attention was paid to the role of the internal dielectronic excitation (IDE) in the relaxation dynamics. We found a clear contribution to relaxation by the IDE process also for projectiles with initial M-shell vacancies and IDE speeds up relaxation of electrons from high Rydberg states by directly filling vacancies in the N-shell that is accompanied with the excitation of M-shell electrons. We discuss the relaxation mechanism, and present results for the fluorescence yield and the IDE probability of highly charged Pb ions in a solid.

Subject headings

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences (hsv//eng)

Keyword

x-ray-emission

electron-emission

above-surface

coster-kronig

hollow atoms

slow

rates

auger

neutralization

fluorescence

Physics

Fysik

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)