Interaction with Auger continua as a source of atomic-energy-level shifts

Abstract

Energy shifts of atomic inner-shell vacancy states caused by interaction with Auger and Coster-Kronig continua are considered. Numerical calculations for the $L$ shell show that $L_2$- and $L_3$-subshell-energy shifts due to this effect are negligible, while the $L_1$-level shift is substantial ($\sim -4\mathrm{}$ eV for $30<~Z<~47$). This [$2s$] vacancy-state shift is dominated by the interaction with $\mathrm{}\left[\mathrm{LM}\right]\mathrm{}\epsilon l$ Coster-Kronig continua and brings ab initio self-consistent-field calculations into satisfactory agreement with experiment, for atoms lighter than Sn. For atomic numbers above $Z\cong 50$, discrepancies remain that may be results of errors in quantum-electrodynamic corrections.