On the use of yttrium and sodium anodes in photoelectron spectroscopy

Low-cost anodes of the active metals yttrium and sodium were constructed and used under modest vacuum conditions. The yttrium Mζ line (132.3 eV) was used to determine np/ns cross-section ratios in the valence shells of three rare gases. The NaKα_{1 2} line and its satellites were characterized with a neon converter. It yielded a linewidth of 0.58(1) eV on the neon 1s line, from which an upper limit of 0.42 eV was set for the NaKα_{1 2} X-ray linewidth. On several “test cases” the NaKα _{1 2} X-ray fell between other characteristic X-rays (e.g., MgKα _{1 2}) and monochromatized sources in its ability to resolve fine structure. The methane C 1s peak was asymmetric and the correct vibrational spacing was obtained by fitting with three components of the correct intensity ratios. Similarly, relative chemical shifts of the unsubstituted carbons in m-difluorobenzene were determined almost completely by fitting the asymmetric peak. In the PF₅ (F 1s) and O₂ (O 1s) cases some new information was obtained.