Role of the magnetic quadrupole radiation in L₃-subshell alignment studies

Abstract

In the L₃-subshell alignment studies it is generally assumed that only El transition occures in the observed radiations. This assumption, however, is questionable in the case of heavy elements. In this paper formulas for the a values of mixed radiations are given. We present also indications of the importance of M2 admixture in El, and propose an angular distribution measurement for direct experimental determination of the M2/El mixing ratios. We have found that three times larger mixing ratios than the theoretical ones (given by Scofield) are necessary to get agreement between the results of some earlier alignment measurements and the theoretical predictions. We have found similar discrepancy in the experimentally obtained L_s(L₃-M₃) line intensity, which we determined relative to the L_l(L₃-M_l) line intensity for platinum.