Threshold double photoexcitation of argon with synchrotron radiation

Satellite Excitations and Final State Interactions in Atomic Photoionization

Satellite excitations and final state configuration interactions appear due to the many-electron correlations and result in a photoelectron spectrum complex final state structure instead of single lines corresponding to one-hole states. In the present work, both processes are considered in a framework of the many-body perturbation theory, and two techniques, namely the spectral function and CI (configuration interaction) methods are considered. It is shown that for the calculation of satellite lineshapes and low-energy Auger decay, the spectral function method is more appropriate, but in the case of strong final state interactions, the methods of solution of Dyson equation or secular matrix are superior. The results obtained for satellites and low energy Auger decay in the Ne 1s, Ne 2p photoelectron spectra, the Co 3s, and the Th 5p photoelectron spectra are in agreement with the experimental data.

Attosecond pump-attosecond probe spectroscopy of Auger decay

Attosecond pump-attosecond probe spectroscopy is becoming possible due the development of sub-femtosecond free electron laser (FEL) pulses as well as intense high-order harmonic generation-based attosecond sources. Here we investigate theoretically whether these developments can provide access to direct time-resolved measurement of Auger decay through detection of the total yield of an ionic decay product, in analogy to the photodissociation product detection in femtochemistry. We show that the ion yield based measurement is generally possible and in the case of the inner-valence hole decay can be background-free. Extensive first principles calculations are used to optimise the probe photon energies for a variety of prototypical systems.

Complex Formation of Alkyl-N-iminodiacetic Acids and Hard Metal Ions in Aqueous Solution and Solid State

The calcium(II), iron(III) and chromium(III) alkyl-N-iminodiacetate systems have been studied in aqueous solution with respect to stability, acid–base properties and structure. The calcium(II) ion forms only one weak complex with methyl-N-iminodiacetic acid in water, K1 = 12.9 (2) mol–1⋅dm3, while iron(III) and chromium(III) form very stable complexes with alkyl-N-iminodiacetic acids. The calcium(II)–methyl-N-iminodiacetate complex is octahedral in the solid state with most probably water in the remaining positions giving a mean Ca–O bond distance of ca. 2.36 Å. The iron(III) alkyl-N-iminodiacetate complexes have low solubility due to a strong tendency to form polymeric structures. Depending on pH in the solution at their preparation, the degree of hydrolysis in the resulting compound(s) may differ. In the solid state, the polymeric iron(III) alkyl-N-iminodiacetate compounds seem to have the mean composition Fe2O(Cx-IDA)5; the mean Fe–O bond distances to the oxo group and the alkyl-N-iminodiacetate ligands are 1.92 and 2.02 Å, respectively. In these complexes the nitrogen atoms are bound at much longer bond distances, 0.1–0.2 Å, than the carboxylate oxygens. This distribution with short strong Fe–O bonds and much longer and weaker Fe–N bonds is also found in most other structurally characterized iron(III) carboxylated amine/polyamine complexes. The chromium(III) alkyl-N-iminodiacetate complexes are octahedral in both solution and solid state, and the low solubility of the solid compounds indicates a polymeric structure with the ligands bridging chromium(III) ions. Also, chromium(III) binds oxygen atoms in carboxylated amines at significantly shorter distance than the nitrogen stoms. The chromium(III) alkyl-N-iminodiacetate complexes display such slow kinetics at titration with strong base that the back-titration with strong acid shows completely different acid–base properties, thus the acid–base reactions are irreversible.

Core hole processes in x-ray absorption and photoemission by resonant Auger-electron spectroscopy and first-principles theory

Electron-core hole interactions are critical for proper interpretation of core-level spectroscopies commonly used as analytical tools in materials science. Here we utilize resonant Auger-electron spectroscopy to uniquely identify exciton, shake, and charge-transfer processes that result from the sudden creation of the core hole in both x-ray-absorption and photoemission spectra. These effects are captured for the transition-metal compounds SrTiO3 and MoS2 by fully ab initio, combined real-time cumulant, and Bethe-Salpeter equation approaches to account for core hole dynamics and screening. Atomic charges and excited-state electron-density fluctuations reflect materials' solid-state electronic structure, loss of translational symmetry around the core hole, and breakdown of the sudden approximation. They also demonstrate competition between long- and short-range screening in a solid.

Energy-Dependent Relative Cross Sections in Carbon 1s Photoionization: Separation of Direct Shake and Inelastic Scattering Effects in Single Molecules

We demonstrate that the possibility of monitoring relative photoionization cross sections over a large photon energy range allows us to study and disentangle shake processes and intramolecular inelastic scattering effects. In this gas-phase study, relative intensities of the carbon 1s photoelectron lines from chemically inequivalent carbon atoms in the same molecule have been measured as a function of the incident photon energy in the range of 300-6000 eV. We present relative cross sections for the chemically shifted carbon 1s lines in the photoelectron spectra of ethyl trifluoroacetate (the "ESCA" molecule). The results are compared with those of methyl trifluoroacetate and S-ethyl trifluorothioacetate as well as a series of chloro-substituted ethanes and 2-butyne. In the soft X-ray energy range, the cross sections show an extended X-ray absorption fine structure type of wiggles, as was previously observed for a series of chloroethanes. The oscillations are damped in the hard X-ray energy range, but deviations of cross-section ratios from stoichiometry persist, even at high energies. The current findings are supported by theoretical calculations based on a multiple scattering model. The use of soft and tender X-rays provides a more complete picture of the dominant processes accompanying photoionization. Such processes reduce the main photoelectron line intensities by 20-60%. Using both energy ranges enabled us to discern the process of intramolecular inelastic scattering of the outgoing electron, whose significance is otherwise difficult to assess for isolated molecules. This effect relates to the notion of the inelastic mean free path commonly used in photoemission studies of clusters and condensed matter.

Direct observation of double-core-hole shake-up States in photoemission

Direct measurements of Ar^{+} 1s^{-1}2p^{-1}nl double-core-hole shake-up states are reported using conventional single-channel photoemission, offering a new and relatively easy means to study such species. The high-quality results yield accurate energies and lifetimes of the double-core-hole states. Their photoemission spectrum also can be likened to 1s absorption of an exotic argon ion with a 2p core vacancy, providing new information about the spectroscopy of both this unusual ionic state as well as the neutral atom.

Separation of two-electron photoexcited atomic processes near the inner-shell threshold

By means of a high resolution resonant inelastic x-ray scattering spectroscopy, we have for the first time separated spectral features pertaining to different two-electron atomic processes in the vicinity of an inner-shell threshold. Contributions of shakeoff, shakeup, and resonant 1s3p double excitations were extracted from the Ar KM-M{2,3}M x-ray satellite line intensity measured as a function of photon energy from [1s3p] double excitation threshold to saturation. The isolated [1s3p]nln'l' excitation spectrum is critically compared to the outcome of the multiconfiguration Dirac-Fock model with relaxation.

Diagram X-ray emission spectra of a hollow atom: the Kh alpha1,2 and Kh beta1,3 hypersatellites of Fe

High-resolution Fe K(h) beta(1,3) and K(h) alpha(1,2) hypersatellite spectra were measured, using monochromatized synchrotron radiation photoexcitation. The lines' energies, splitting, excitation thresholds, and the K(h) alpha(1)/K(h) alpha(2) intensity ratio were derived with high accuracy. Having both spectra, not hitherto available for any atom with high resolution, allows separating out the energy shifts of the outer levels caused by a K shell spectator vacancy. Comparison with ab initio relativistic multiconfigurational Dirac-Fock calculations reveals that while the influence of relativity and QED effects is mostly accounted for, discrepancies remain in the lines' intensity ratio, which sensitively measures the intermediacy of the coupling. Similar discrepancies, of unknown origin, are found in the energy shifts of the outer levels due to the final-state K shell spectator vacancy.

Shake-up and shake-off excitations with associated electron losses in X-ray studies of proteins

Photoionization of an atom by X-rays usually removes an inner shell electron from the atom, leaving behind a perturbed "hollow ion" whose relaxation may take different routes. In light elements, emission of an Auger electron is common. However, the energy and the total number of electrons released from the atom may be modulated by shake-up and shake-off effects. When the inner shell electron leaves, the outer shell electrons may find themselves in a state that is not an eigen-state of the atom in its surroundings. The resulting collective excitation is called shake-up. If this process also involves the release of low energy electrons from the outer shell, then the process is called shake-off. It is not clear how significant shake-up and shake-off contributions are to the overall ionization of biological materials like proteins. In particular, the interaction between the outgoing electron and the remaining system depends on the chemical environment of the atom, which can be studied by quantum chemical methods. Here we present calculations on model compounds to represent the most common chemical environments in proteins. The results show that the shake-up and shake-off processes affect approximately 20% of all emissions from nitrogen, 30% from carbon, 40% from oxygen, and 23% from sulfur. Triple and higher ionizations are rare for carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen, but are frequent for sulfur. The findings are relevant to the design of biological experiments at emerging X-ray free-electron lasers.

Evolution from threshold of a hollow Atom's X-Ray emission spectrum: the Cu k(h)alpha(1,2) hypersatellites

The first pure high-resolution photoexcited K(h)alpha(1,2) hypersatellite spectrum from a hollow Cu atom is measured. Its K(h)alpha(2)- Kalpha(1) shift and the K(h)alpha(1,2) lines' splitting, widths, and intensity ratio are accurately determined. Such spectra are uniquely suited to study relativistic correlation effects, transition from LS to intermediate coupling, and the Breit-Wigner interaction. The threshold energy and the spectrum's evolution with excitation energy are also measured. The roles of relativity and Breit interaction are explored by comparison with ab initio Dirac-Fock calculations.