K- andL-shell ionization of atoms by relativistic electrons

Abstract

Results of a relativistic calculation of the cross section for the ionization from the $K$ and $L$ shells by high-energy electrons are presented. The calculations use the first-order Born approximation to treat the interaction between the scattered and atomic electrons. Plane waves are used to treat the high-energy scattered electron, while solutions of the Dirac equation in a Hartree-Slater central potential are used to describe the atomic electrons. Results are presented for a set of elements from $Z=18\mathrm{} \mathrm{to} 92$ and incident energies from 50 keV to 1 GeV. Calculated results are given for the correction due to the density effect arising from the polarizability of the medium. In the calculation of this correction, the medium is treated as composed of free electons.