Comment on 'polarisation and angular correlation relations in electron-photon-photon coincidence events

Abstract

The authors question the claim made by Heck and Gauntlett (ibid., vol.19, p.3633, 1986) that the spin polarisation resulting from the spin-orbit interaction in the hydrogen atom after electron impact excitation to the n=3 states significantly influences the evolution of the atoms in the intermediate n=2 state of the n=3 to n=2 to n=1 cascade. They also show how some of the authors' formulae can be simplified and hence analysed without using numerical methods.