Alexander J. Fairchild

arXiv2024

High-Resolution Laboratory Measurements of M-shell Fe EUV Line Emission using EBIT-I

Solar physicists routinely utilize observations of Ar-like Fe IX and Cl-like Fe X emission to study a variety of solar structures. However, unidentified lines exist in the Fe IX and Fe X spectra, greatly impeding the spectroscopic diagnostic potential of these ions. Here, we present measurements using the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory EBIT-I electron beam ion trap in the wavelength range 238-258 A. These studies enable us to unambiguously identify the charge state associated with each of the observed lines. This wavelength range is of particular interest because it contains the Fe IX density diagnostic line ratio 241.74 A/244.91 A, which is predicted to be one of the best density diagnostics of the solar corona, as well as the Fe X 257.26 A magnetic-field-induced transition. We compare our measurements to the Fe IX and Fe X lines tabulated in CHIANTI v10.0.1, which is used for modeling the solar spectrum. In addition, we have measured previously unidentified Fe X lines that will need to be added to CHIANTI and other spectroscopic databases.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2020

Direct evidence for low-energy electron emission following O LVV Auger transitions at oxide surfaces

Oxygen, the third most abundant element in the universe, plays a key role in the chemistry of condensed matter and biological systems. Here, we report evidence for a hitherto unexplored Auger transition in oxides, where a valence band electron fills a vacancy in the 2s state of oxygen, transferring sufficient energy to allow electron emission. We used a beam of positrons with kinetic energies of $\sim$1 eV to create O 2s holes via matter-antimatter annihilation. This made possible the elimination of the large secondary electron background that has precluded definitive measurements of the low-energy electrons emitted through this process. Our experiments indicate that low-energy electron emission following the Auger decay of O 2s holes from adsorbed oxygen and oxide surfaces are very efficient. Specifically, our results indicate that the low energy electron emission following the Auger decay of O 2s hole is nearly as efficient as electron emission following the relaxation of O 1s holes in TiO$_2$. This has important implications for the understanding of Auger-stimulated ion desorption, Coulombic decay, photodynamic cancer therapies, and may yield important insights into the radiation-induced reactive sites for corrosion and catalysis.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗