Excitation Potential ofKα3, 4Satellite Lines

Abstract

With a two-crystal vacuum spectrometer the curve of the intensity of $K\alpha$ satellite lines vs. voltage of the x-ray tube has been determined for the $K{\alpha }_{3, 4}$ lines of titanium. For voltages greater than 11 kv the satellite intensity (total area of the $K{\alpha }_{3, 4}$ satellite structure) relative to the intensity of the Ti $K{\alpha }_1$ lines is 2.21 percent; the ratio of peak intensities $\frac{{\alpha }_4}{{\alpha }_1}$ is 0.69 percent. The measured excitation potential of the Ti $K{\alpha }_{3, 4}$ lines is 5450±100 volts, 500 volts in excess of the excitation potential of the $K{\alpha }_{1, 2}$ lines. Assuming 0.85 as the screening constant of a missing $K$ electron on an $L$ electron, one calculates that the voltage required to produce a state of $K{L}_{\mathrm{III}}$ ionization in the titanium atom is 5455 volts. This value is in excellent agreement with the measured excitation potential and the conclusions of the experiments are in support of the Wentzel-Druyvesteyn theory of the origin of the $K{\alpha }_{3, 4}$ satellite lines.