Measurement of total M shell photoionization cross sections for Au,Pb, Th and U in the energy region 6–12 keV

The total M shell relative photoionization cross-sections for Au, Pb, Th and U have been measured in the energy region 6–12 keV. External conversion K X-rays of suitable elements has been employed as incident photons to photo ionize the total M shell of elements under investigation. The method provides relative cross-sections therefore does not make use of theoretically calculated average M shell fluorescence yields which involve uncertainties of the order of 20%. No evidence of deviation from calculated values of cross-sections have been observed within experimental errors for all incident photon energies.     

Measurement of angular dependence of M X-ray production cross-sections in Re,Bi and U at 5.96 keV

The M X-ray production differential cross sections in Re, Bi and U elements have been measured at the 5.96 keV incident photon energy in an angular range 135°–155°. The measurements were performed using a ⁵⁵Fe source and a Si(Li) detector. The present results contradict the predictions of Cooper and Zare [Atomic Collision Processes, Gordon and Breach, New York (1969)] and experimental results of Kumar et al. [J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. 34, 613 (2001)]. that, after photoionization of inner shells, the vacancy state has equal population of magnetic substates and the subsequent X-ray emission is isotropic, but confirm the predictions of the calculations of Flügge et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 29, 7 (1972)] and experimental results of Sharma and Allawadhi [J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. 32, 2343 (1999)] and Ertugrul [Nucl. Instrum. Meth. B 119, 345 (1996)]. Total M X-ray production cross sections from the decay at the 5.96 keV photon energies are found to be in good agreement with the calculated theoretical results using the theoretical values of M shell photoionization cross section.     

On the continuity in energy of the free-bound one-photon cross-sections

For a charged particle in a central field of force we discuss the continuity in energy of the cross-sections for the related processes of ground state photoeffect and radiative capture. This continuity follows from general arguments, while for a Coulomb potential, where exact analytic expressions are available, the continuity can also be traced explicitly through the calculation. Our analysis allows us to identify an error in papers on radiative muon capture in the ground state which claim the existence of a discontinuity in the cross-section, occurring in hydrogen for muon energies in the neighbourhood of 2.8 keV. As a discontinuity in radiative capture would imply a discontinuity in atomic photoeffect, we note that in the latter case there are extensive experimental results in good qualitative agreement with the usual continuous result (Stobbe formula) for the cross-section. Received: 13 February 1998 / Accepted: 14 May 1998     

Electron angular distributions in double photoionization: Use of effective Sommerfeld parameters

We present calculations of the fivefold differential cross-section (FDCS) for double photoionization of helium at excess energies of 6 and 20 eV above threshold. Our results are obtained using for the final double-continuum state a product of three Coulomb wave functions, with the Sommerfeld parameters modified to describe the strength of interaction of any two particles affected by the third particle. Our calculations are compared with recent absolute measurements by D?rner et al. (Phys. Rev. A 57, 1074 (1998)), both in coplanar and non-coplanar geometries. Very good agreement is obtained for the shape of the angular distributions, and differences in the absolute magnitude exist in comparison with the standard choice of Sommerfeld parameters. Received: 17 July 1998 / Received in final form and Accepted: 23 October 1998     

Photoionization cross-sections of the first excited states of sodium and lithium in a magneto-optical trap

A two element magneto-optical trap (MOT) for Na and ⁷Li or ⁶Li is used to cool and trap each of them separately. A fraction of the cold atoms is maintained in the first ²P_3/2 excited state by the cooling laser. These excited state atoms are ionized by laser light in the near-UV region, giving rise to a smaller number of trapped atoms and to different loading parameters. Photoionization cross-sections were derived out of these data. They are in reasonable agreement with data previously obtained using thermal samples and with theoretical predictions. Received 21 March 2001 and Received in final form 3 August 2001     

Studies on vibrational excitation differential cross-sections of low-energy electron scattering from N2 molecule

The vibrational excitation differential cross-sections (DCS) of low-energy electron-N₂ scattering are studied using vibrational close-coupling (VCC) method and vibrational scattering potentials which include static, exchange and polarization contributions. By including the contributions of 18 partial waves, 20 vibrational states, and 16 molecular symmetries (up to Λ=7), the converged vibrational excitation (0↦2, 0↦3, 0↦4) DCS agree well with experimental results. Also obtained are converged vibrational (1↦0, 1↦1, 1↦2, 1↦3) DCS, with the impact energies being those of the main resonant peaks (1.92 eV, 1.90 eV, 1.62 eV, 1.63 eV).     

A simple non-perturbative approach of atom ionisation by intense and ultra-short laser pulses

A simple theoretical approach based on Coulomb-Volkov states is introduced to predict ionisation of atoms by intense laser pulses in cases where the effective interaction time does not exceed one or two optical cycles [M. Nisoli et al., Opt. Lett. 22, 522 (1997)]. Under these conditions, the energy distributions of ejected electrons predicted by this non-perturbative approach are in very good agreement with “exact" results obtained by a full numerical treatment. The agreement is all the better that the principal quantum number of the initial state is high. For very strong fields, most electrons are ejected at an energy which is close to the classical kinetic energy that would be transferred to free electrons by the electromagnetic field during the pulse. The power of the present approach appears when keV. In this region, full numerical treatments become very lengthy and finally do not converge. However, the present Coulomb-Volkov theory still makes reliable predictions in very short computer times. Received 19 November 1999 and Received in final form 19 January 2000     

Lineshapes of the even mp1/2 5n(p′/f′) autoionizing resonances of Ar, Kr and Xe

The even parity mp_1/2 ⁵np^′ and mp_1/2 ⁵nf^′ autoionizing resonances of Ar, Kr, and Xe (m=3,4,5) were investigated experimentally and theoretically by one-photon excitation from lower-lying intermediate levels. In particular, high resolution measurements for the Ar(nf^′), Kr(12p^′,8f^′), and Xe(8p^′) resonances are reported; lineshape parameters for these resonances have been derived by a Fano-type analysis, thus yielding reduced resonance widths. The experimental spectra and the resonance parameters are compared with theoretical calculations which are based on the configuration interaction Pauli–Fock approach including core polarization. The measured and calculated lineshapes are in good agreement. In addition, theoretical predictions are presented for other resonances, which have not yet been observed experimentally, and some systematic trends are elucidated.     

Quenching cross-sections of metastable Ar,Kr and Xe atoms by halogen molecules

Summary The quenching of metastable Ar, Kr and Xe atoms by halogen molecules via an electron jump mechanism is examined by using the multiple curve-crossing formalism of Bauer, Fisher and Gilmore. Cross-sections for the quenching process are calculated which are found in good agreement with experiment. Finally, the model presented here is compared with other quenching mechanisms.

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Riassunto Si esamina la tempra di atomi metastabili di Ar, Kr, e Xe mediante molecole di alogeni attraverso un meccanismo di salto di elettroni, usando il meccanismo d'incrocio multiplo di curve di Bauer, Fisher e Gilmore. Si calcolano le sezioni d'urto per il processo di tempra che appaiono in buon accordo coi dati sperimentali. Infine il modello qui presentato è confrontato con altri meccanismi di tempra.

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Резюме Используя формализм Бауэра, Фишера и Джилмора, исследуется гашение метастабильности атомов Ar, Kr и Xe молекулами галогенов через механизм электронного перескока. Вычисляются поперечные сечения для процесса гашения, которые согласуются с экспериментом. В заключение предложенная модель сравнивается с другими механизмами гашения.

     

Vacuum ultraviolet photoionization of the 5d elements in the region of the 5p and 4f excitation

The results of recent VUV photoionization experiments of the 5d elements Ta, W, Re, Ir and Pt using atomic beam technique, excitation with monochromatized synchrotron radiation and detection of singly and doubly charged photoions are discussed. Special attention is given to the resonances caused by discrete transitions of the 5p and 4f electrons into the unfilled 5d subshells. As there is a crossover of the 5p and 4f levels along the series of the 5d elements the result is a complicated structure of the corresponding interacting resonances. The photoion spectra are compared with theoretical calculations carried out within the relativistic time dependent local density and the relativistic Hartree-Fock approximation. Received: 9 October 1997 / Accepted: 3 November 1997     

Photo-atomic effect: Temperature dependence of the photodesorption of Na and from polymer surfaces

Alkali metals adsorbed to surface films of the polymer poydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) have been shown to exhibit a unique photodesorption behavior, characterized by a frequency threshold and high efficiency. In this work, the temperature dependence of the photodesorption yields of Na and Na ₂ from PDMS surfaces were measured between room temperature and 183 K. Over most of the temperature range, the yields exhibited an Arrhenius behavior characterized by thermal activation energies of 0.36 eV and 0.34 eV for Na and Na ₂ , respectively. These values are suggestive of a surface diffusion as one of the elementary steps in the photodesorption mechanism. Moreover, the similarity of the two values indicates that the same elementary step applies to the desorption of both Na and Na ₂ . Received 23 April 1999 and Received in final form 15 July 1999     

Scattering of electrons from gas-phase N2O(1Σ): Computed cross-sections and angular distributions in comparison with experiments

Ab initio calculations are reported for the quantum scattering of electrons from N₂O molecules in the gas phase and for energies which range from near threshold up to about 100 eV. Elastic integral cross-sections and angular distributions are examined in detail and an extensive comparison is made with existing experiments. The agreement found with the latter data is fairly good and results are further discussed to explain the physical mechanisms at work for this polar target.     

Photoionization of atoms in parallel electric and magnetic fields: Cross-section calculations using the Lanczos algorithm and the complex coordinate method in a discrete variable representation

A combination of the complex-coordinate method and the Lanczos recursion scheme is implemented in the discrete variable representation (DVR) to obtain total photoionization cross-sections using an iterative procedure. Applications to photoionization of hydrogen atoms in electric fields and sodium atoms in electric and parallel electric and magnetic fields are presented and discussed. Received 15 May 2000 and Received in final form 4 October 2000     

Spin-polarized Dirac-Slater calculations on the energies of hollow argon atom

In this work, the multiplet splitting in terms of a spin-dependent model is analyzed. The spin-polarized and unpolarized single configuration Dirac-Fock-Slater wavefunctions have been used in the evaluation of the total energies of highly ionized argon with different L shell population The transition energies of hollow argon atom with initial configurations 1s ⁰ _1/22s ^m _1/22p ⁿ _1/22p ^l _3/2 with m = 0 to 2 and n + l varying from 6 to 1 are reported in this work. The calculations have been carried out by taking into account a relativistic exchange potential in the Dirac-Slater potential. To account for the correlation effects, a correction term has also been considered perturbatively. The present calculations show that the spin-polarized technique which is mainly applied to the ground states of atoms may also be applied to atoms ionized in the inner shells with a good degree of accuracy. Received 5 December 2000 and Received in final form 9 April 2001     

Experimental studies of emission of highly charged Au-ions and of X-rays from the laser-produced plasma at high laser intensities

Au ions with maximum charge states 58+ and with the kinetic energy in a region of ∼100 MeV were recorded. The influence of various experimental conditions is presented and discussed.     

On the theoretical calculations of cross-sections for alkali metal atoms reacting with Cl2 and Br2 molecules

Summary An adiabatic capture mechanism is presented to calculate reactive cross-sections for the alkali+Cl₂ and alkali+Br₂ systems. The model is based on empirically constructed potential-energy surfaces and the results are found to be consistent with the experimental values. To speed up publication, the author of this paper has agreed to not receive the proofs for correction.     

Near threshold photoionization of excited alkali atoms Ak(np) (Ak = Na, K, Rb, Cs; n = 3-6)

The effect of the polarization of the atomic core by the outer electron on near threshold photoionization of excited alkali atoms Ak(np) (Ak = Na-Cs; n=3-6) is investigated. Partial and total cross-sections for photo-ionization of the np-electron were computed utilizing the configuration interaction technique with Pauli-Fock atomic orbitals (CIPF) and including the long range core polarization potential (CP). To calculate the core polarization potential the variational principle is applied. Comparison with previous theoretical results and with available experimental data is made for the total cross-section , for the electron angular distribution parameter , for the ratio of the reduced electric dipole matrix elements and for the phase shift difference , associated with the d-wave and s-wave continua, respectively. In the comparison, new experimental results for , , and , measured for laser-excited, polarized ³⁹K(4p _3/2) atoms, have been included. Received 21 July 1999 and Received in final form 14 October 1999     

Effects of Ps polarization potentials on Ps total cross-sections of the collisions of positrons with alkali metal atoms and alkaline-earth positive ions

Summary The previous form of the coupled-static approximation applied to the inelastic scattering of positrons by alkali metal atoms is improved by switching on the polarization potentials of the positroniums. The effect of these potentials on the total elastic and positronium formation cross-sections of three different scattering problems (namely the collisions of positrons with lithium, sodium and potassium atoms) is discussed in details. Particularly, we devote our interest to the comparison between the resultant positronium formation cross-sections and those of the inelastic collisions of positrons with berylium, magnesium and calcium positive ions.     

Photoelectron and photoion spectroscopy on atomic Lu in the region of the 5p excitation

The resonances of atomic Lu have been investigated by photoelectron and photoion spectroscopy using monochromatized synchrotron radiation in the vacuum ultraviolet energy region. The total photoion yield has been compared to calculations in which the extended Fano theory (Mies formalism) and the Hartree-Fock method were applied. The resonance structure is dominated by the spin-orbit splitting of the 5p core hole. In the photoion yield spectra of singly and doubly charged ions a high fraction of Lu²⁺ ions has been found in the region of the 5p ^-1 (² P _1/2 )nd resonances. Photoelectron spectra, recorded in this resonance region, have been investigated with respect to deexcitation channels connected with Lu²⁺ ions. The 5p ^-1 (² P _1/2 )nd resonances predominantly autoionize by spin-flip into states, which decay in the second step into Lu²⁺ final ionic states. Received: 2 September 1998 / Accepted: 17 September 1998