METHOD OF DETERMINING LIFE TIME OF INNER VACANCY AND AUTOIONIZATION STATE OF ATOMIC PARTICLE Russian patent published in 1994 - IPC

FIELD: atomic physics and physics of atomic collisions. SUBSTANCE: method involves irradiating atomic particles in a gaseous phase with ions and investigating energy spectra of emitted electrons. The method is base on interaction after collision of a scattered ion, emitted electrons and atomic skeleton. As a result of this interaction an energy of Auge-spectrum analyzed electron or autoionization electron proves to be dependent of its escape angle (relative to the direction of irradiating ions), the difference in this energy for two angles being definitively related to a life time to be determined. Thus electron spectra are measured in two directions and corresponding line shift is determined which is greater than its natural width. The determined quantity being a fundamental atomic constant, the method can be used in different fields of science and technology, e.g. in laser separation of isotopes. EFFECT: enhanced accuracy and sensitivity, widened measurement range in the region of deep vacancies.