Abstract
ONE of the chief reasons for the low intensity of the X-ray lines emitted by light atoms is the low fluorescent yield of the X-ray emission by such atoms. As predicted by Rosseland and first shown by Auger, excited atoms when reorganising can dispose of their excess energy either by emitting X-ray quanta or by giving off photoelectrons. When the latter process prevails, the yield of X-ray emission is low, and vice versa. The magnitude of the yield can be determined by counting the number of photo-electrons1 given off by the atoms when leaving the excited state, or by comparing the intensity of the exciting and the excited radiation.
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References
P. Auger, Ann. Phys., 6, 183; 1926.
Comp. especially L. Martin, Proc. Roy. Soc., A, 115, 420; 1927. A. H. Compton, Phil. Mag., VII, 8, 961; 1929. G. L. Locher, Phys. Rev., 40, 484; 1932. M. Haas, Ann. Phys., 16, 473; 1933. D. K. Berkey, Phys. Rev., 45, 437; 1934.
G. v. Hevesy and E. Alexander, Die Naturwissenschaften, 19, 825; 1931.
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HEVESY, G., LAY, H. Fluorescent Yield of X-Ray Emission. Nature 134, 98–99 (1934). https://doi.org/10.1038/134098b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/134098b0
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