Atomic Vacancy Distributions Produced by Inner-Shell Ionization

Average $L$- and $M$-shell-vacancy distributions produced in the deexcitation of atoms that have been singly ionized in the $K$ shell or one of the $L$ subshells are derived from a comprehensive set of available experimental and theoretical data on radiative- and Auger-transition rates. The data are supplemented by new calculations in $j-j$ coupling from nonrelativistic screened hydrogenic wave functions of the following radiationless transition rates: $K-LL$, $K-LM$, and $K-LN$ for selected elements with $20\le Z\le 81$, and $L_i-MM$, $L_i-MX$, and $L_i-XY$ for $26\le Z\le 93$. Experimental and theoretical data on Auger- and radiative-transition probabilities are critically compared. Auger-electron intensity ratios and $\frac{K{\alpha }_2}{K{\alpha }_1}$ and $\frac{K\beta }{K\alpha }$ x-ray intensity ratios from a best fit to experimental data are tabulated for even atomic numbers from 20 to 94. The probability, per initial $K$ vacancy, of vacancy production in each $L_i$ subshell is derived from experimental data and tabulated for $20\le Z\le 94$; components due to Auger and x-ray transitions are listed separately. These probabilities agree well with purely theoretical vacancy distributions also derived here. The probability of $M$-shell-vacancy production in the decay of $K$ and $L_i$ vacancies is derived from theory and tabulated for selected atoms with $16\le Z\le 93$.