Spin Polarized Auger Electrons: The XeM4,5N4,5N4,5Case

Abstract

The spin polarization of the $\mathrm{Xe}{M}_{4,5}{N}_{4,5}{N}_{4,5}$ Auger electrons was measured after photoionization of free atoms by circularly polarized synchrotron radiation at 834.5 eV. Significant polarization effects were found across the whole Auger group. With the hole state orientation determined from the spin polarization of the $M_4{}^1{S}_0$ Auger line the intrinsic Auger parameters were evaluated for all lines. The orientation derived from the ${}_{}{}^1{}_{}{}^{}S_0^{}{}_{}{}^{}$ Auger line is consistent with the measured spin polarization of the ${3d}_{3/2}$ photoline in good agreement with the two-step model of the Auger decay.