The X-RayKβ2,5-Emission Lines andK-Absorption Limits of Cu-Zn Alloys

The shapes of the $K{\beta }_{2,5}$ lines of Cu and of Zn and their $K$-absorption edges in the pure metals and in a series of brasses have been studied with a double crystal spectrometer. Mixing Cu with Zn increases the high energy part of the emission of Cu $K{\beta }_{2,5}$ and decreases the corresponding part of the intensity of Zn $K{\beta }_2$. The magnitude of this redistribution of high energy conduction electrons between Cu and Zn is found to agree with theoretical calculations, which predict a maximum positive charge of about 10 percent of an electronic charge on a zinc atom dissolved in a Cu lattice. The present results are offered as further support for that interpretation of Cu $K{\beta }_{2,5}$ structure which attributes the extra low frequency emission to $3d$ band emission. In every alloy Zn $K{\beta }_5$ appears with very little change in width or in intensity per $Z\mathrm{n}$ atom, and can be definitely assigned to $3d$ quadrupole emission. No shifts of the high energy sides of the emission lines or the corresponding absorption limits greater than the experimental error have been observed with alloying, and there appears to be no evidence of any effect of crystal structure on the emission lines.