Multielectron spectroscopy: the xenon 4d hole double auger decay

A magnetic bottle spectrometer of the type recently developed by Eland et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 90, 053003 (2003).] has been implemented for use with synchrotron radiation, allowing multidimensional electron spectroscopy. Its application to the Xe 4d double Auger decay reveals all the energy pathways involved. The dominant path is a cascade process with a rapid (6 fs) ejection of a first Auger electron followed by the slower (>23 fs) emission of a second Auger electron. Weaker processes implying 3 electron processes are also revealed, namely, direct double Auger and associated Rydberg series.