Electron Shakeoff Following theβ−Decay ofAr41

Abstract

A specially designed mass spectrometer is used to analyze the potassium ions that result from the ${\beta }^{-}$ decay of ${\mathrm{Ar}}^{41}$. The percent abundances are as follows: ${\mathrm{K}}^{1+}$ (82±1), ${\mathrm{K}}^{2+}$ (12.5±0.8), ${\mathrm{K}}^{3+}$ (3.0±0.2), ${\mathrm{K}}^{4+}$ (1.4±0.1), ${\mathrm{K}}^{5+}$ (0.44±0.06), ${\mathrm{K}}^{6+}$ (0.16±0.04), ${\mathrm{K}}^{7+}$ (0.06±0.02), and ${\mathrm{K}}^{8+}$ (0.016±0.009). The data are compared with similar studies on other rare gases that undergo beta decay, and some of the general properties of electron shakeoff as a function of atomic number are discussed.