Initial-state screening effects in metal Auger spectra: Be

Abstract

The Auger spectrum of beryllium metal is presented and analyzed. This analysis suggests that the valenceband screening of the initial-state core hole alters the observed line shape from that predicted on the basis of band structure alone. Decomposition of the spectrum into components describing the angular momenta of the final-state holes indicates that the screening charge is largely $s$-like. A rigorous description of the screening-charge effect is presented together with an approximate theory which preserves the analysis in terms of band structure. The approximate theory is in qualitative agreement with the results of ab initio calculations on a 13 atom cluster.