Measurement of the radiative vacancy transfer probabilities from the L 3 to M and to N shells for W, Re and Pb using synchrotron radiation Edgardo V. Bonzi * Facultad de Matema ´ tica, Astronomı ´a y Fı ´sica, Universidad Nacional de Co ´ rdoba, Ciudad Universitaria, 5010 Co ´ rdoba, Argentina Received 8 September 2005; received in revised form 10 November 2005 Available online 10 January 2006 Abstract The radiative vacancy transfer probabilities from L 3 to M shell, g L 3 M ðRÞ and L 3 to N shell, g L 3 N ðRÞ, have been determined for W, Re and Pb. The pure elements samples were excited by monochromatic synchrotron radiation. The X-rays were generated by excitation of L 3 edge and measured using a high resolution Si(Li) detector. The experimentally determined radiative vacancy transfer probabilities were compared with the theoretical values deduced using radiative X-ray emission rates based on the relativistic Dirac–Hartree–Slater (RDHS) model. In the case of Pb, the experimental data were compared as well with experimental values of Simsek. In both cases, a good agreement was found between the datasets. Ó 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. PACS: 32.70.Cs; 32.70.n; 32.70.Fw; 32.80.Fb Keywords: Photoionization; Synchrotron radiation; Vacancy transfer; Radiative transitions 1. Introduction The innershell vacancy produced in an atom is filled through radiative and non-radiative transitions. In the radiative transitions, the X-ray photons is emitted, but in the non-radiative transitions, the Auger electrons is emit- ted. In these processes, the vacancy moves from innershell to higher shells. The vacancy transfer can also take place within the subshell and such transitions is known as Cos- ter–Kronig transitions. Knowledge of vacancy transfer is important in under- standing several atomic processes such as internal conver- sion of gamma rays, nuclear electrons capture, nuclear electron capture, characteristic X-ray productions and photoelectric effects among others. Several investigators have already measured K-to-L and L-to-M vacancy transfer probabilities by exciting the target with radioactive sources. Ertugrul et al. [1] have measured the radiative vacancy transfer probabilities from the K to the L 2 ,L 3 subshell and to the M shell in the atomic regions 69 6 Z 6 92. Recently, Simsek [2] has measured the radia- tive vacancy transfer probabilities from L 3 to M and N shells for Pb, Th and U, using radioactive sources. Rao et al. [3] have obtained the theoretical values of the vacancy transfer probabilities from L i to M, g L i M (i = 1, 2, 3) for the elements in the atomic region 26 6 Z 6 92. Mc Guire [4] has also reported the values of vacancy trans- fer probabilities from L i to M for elements in the range 50 6 Z 6 90. Puri et al. [5] have evaluated the probabilities g KL , g L i M and g KM for elements in the region 18 6 Z 6 96. With the best knowledge of the author, the experimental radiative vacancy transfer probabilities from L 3 to M and N shell are not available in literature for W and Re elements, in view of this, these parameters were measured for the ele- ments W, Re and Pb. Measured values are compared with theoretical values deduced using radiative X-ray emission rates [6] based on the relativistic Dirac–Hartree–Slater (RDHS) model. The experimental values of probabilities for Pb were compared with theoretical and experimentally 0168-583X/$ - see front matter Ó 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.nimb.2005.11.148 * Tel.: +54 351 433 40 50x53; fax: +54 351 433 40 54. E-mail address: bonzi@famaf.unc.edu.ar www.elsevier.com/locate/nimb Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B 245 (2006) 363–366 NIM B Beam Interactions with Materials & Atoms