Analysis of the Auger spectra of CO and CO2

Abstract

The electron‐excited gas phase carbon and oxygen Auger spectra of CO and CO₂ are compared to the spectra calculated by a one‐electron theory. Calculated Auger transition intensities and energies are generally in good agreement with experiment. The disagreement between certain calculated intensities and experiment, however, illustrates those cases where configuration interaction can be expected to provide significant corrections to the one‐electron theoretical results. In addition, a comparison of calculated to experimental final state binding energies reveals the existence, in covalent molecules, of localized two‐hole final states in which two holes are always on the same site. A simple two‐electron theory predicts where such states will occur in the Auger spectra of homonuclear diatomic molecules.