Auger kinetic energies and electronic relaxation phenomena in atoms and solids

A semi-empirical theory has been developed to calculate the kinetic energy of Auger electrons resulting from radiationless transitions in both free atoms and metals. Experimental electron binding energies and calculated two-electron interaction and relaxation energies are used. Relaxation energies are determined by means of hyper-Hartree—Fock hole-state calculations. To account for extra-atomic relaxation phenomena in metals, it is assumed that conductionband electrons occupy free-atom-like screening orbitais. The relationship of the present theory to recent work of Shirley et al., Larkins, Kim et al. and Watson et al. is discussed. The dependence of the Auger cross-relaxation energy on the ionicity of compounds is briefly discussed.