Cross Sections for Ionization of Inner-shell Electrons by Electrons

Published

January 1, 1976

Author(s)

Cedric J. Powell

Abstract

A survey is given of the available cross-section data for ionization of inner-shell electrons by incident electrons in the range of interest for electron-probe microanalysis and for Auger-electron spectroscopy of solid surfaces. Owing to the paucity of data, the bulk of the discussion is limited to K-shell and L-shell ionization of light atoms. Calculated, semiempirical, and experimental cross-section data have been intercompared graphically and through fits to the linearized Bethe equation for inner-shell ionization (the Fano plot). Almost all of the data could be satisfactorily fitted over the range 4 nl nl=E₀ / E_nl, E₀ is the incident electron energy, and E_nl the binding energy of electrons in the nl shell. From these fits, values could be obtained of the "effective" Bethe parameters b_nl and c_nl. Values of the parameter b_nl have also been derived from photoabsorption data and were found to be generally consistent with the ionization data if account was taken of the distribution of differential oscillator strength with respect to excitation energy and the consequent expected variation of b_nl with incident electron energy. The derived "effective" Bethe parameters should not therefore be used outside the range of each fit.

Citation

Reviews of Modern Physics

Volume

48

Issue

1

Pub Type

Journals

Citation

Powell, C. (1976), Cross Sections for Ionization of Inner-shell Electrons by Electrons, Reviews of Modern Physics (Accessed October 12, 2025)