Experimental Atomic-Electron Binding Energies in Fermium

Abstract

Atomic electron binding energies for ${}_{100}{}^{}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Fm}$ have been measured (± ∼10 eV) for shells $K$, $L_{1-3}$, $N_{1-5}$, $N_{6,7}$, $O_{1-3}$, $O_{4,5}$, and $P_{2,3}$ from conversion electron spectroscopy in the $\beta$ decay ${}_{}{}^{254m}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Es}\to {}_{}{}^{254}{}_{}{}^{}\mathrm{Fm}$. The $P_{2,3}$ value of 24 ± 9 eV is unexpectedly low compared to empirical and to self-consistent field-based extrapolations. Preferential judgements among published actinide binding-energy tabulations are presented.