GoldLX-Ray Production by 0.5-30-MeV Protons

The characteristic $L$ x-rays of Au, produced by 0.5-30-MeV proton beams on a thin Au target have been observed with a Si(Li) detector. Total $L$ x-ray production cross sections derived from these measurements are in good agreement with presently available theoretical calculations. However, theoretical predictions of $\frac{L\alpha }{L\beta }$ and $\frac{L\alpha }{L\gamma }$ ratios and centroid energies of the $L\beta$ and $L\gamma$ lines as functions of proton energy show that a consistent quantum-mechanical treatment of $L$-shell ionization gives considerably better agreement with experimental results than the semiclassical or classical theories of inner-shell ionization.