Linearer Stark-Effekt desR-Zentrums in LiF

The K-ionization cross section of Aluminium by electron impact was measured detecting quantitatively the Al-K X-rays emitted by thin targets of known mass thickness. The apparatus and the measurements are briefly described. The experimental results are considerably higher than the values of the theories using the Born approximation. The discrepancy increases with increasing energy of the incoming electron. At twenty-fold threshold energy for example, the measurements are higher thanBurhop's calculations by a factor of 1.7. It is shown that considering the process ofK-ionization the influence of the nuclear field on the impact electron increases with decreasing atomic number. Thus, the calculations ofRudge andSchwartz using coulomb wave functions for the impact electron, are closest to the measurements (maximum deviation 16%). The formula ofGryzinski based on classical calculations is a good approximation to the experimental results if multiplied by a factor 1.23.