Auger Transitions in a Quasi-Molecule in Collisions of Neon Atoms in the Kiloelectonvolt Energy Range

Abstract

We have calculated the probabilities of Auger decay of a vacancy on the 2pπ orbital in the Ne⁺–Ne quasi-molecule, which is a short-lived structure formed during the collision of a neon ion and an atom and decays during their flying apart in the collision energy range 3–50 keV. The results of calculations correlate with available experimental data on the electron emission spectra. We have determined the dominating Auger decay channels depending on the collision energy. It is shown that with increasing collision energy, substantial ionization and excitation of the quasi-molecule occur, which leads to a considerable increase in the Auger transitions probability in the quasi-molecule. We have proposed a scaling for estimating the Auger transition probability upon a change in the degree of ionization of particles and the procedure for reconstructing the quasi-molecule energy level in the conditions of strong dependence of the Auger transition probability on the internuclear distance. The dependence of the total (summed over all possible channel) probability of the decay of the 2pπ vacancy on the collision conditions has been established.