A practical theoretical formalism for atomic multielectron processes: direct multiple ionization by a single Auger decay or by impact of a single electron or photon

TL;DR

This paper introduces a unified, accurate theoretical formalism for modeling complex multielectron atomic processes, including multiple ionization and Auger decay, based on correlated many-body Green's functions, applicable to various atomic interactions.

Contribution

The work develops a practical, coherent formalism for atomic multielectron processes, incorporating energy correlations and coherence features, advancing beyond previous models.

Findings

Accurately models electron impact double ionization of C$^+$, N$^+$, O$^+$

Describes direct double and triple Auger decay of excited states

Aligns well with experimental and theoretical data

Abstract

Multiple electron processes occur widely in atoms, molecules, clusters, and condensed matters when they are interacting with energetic particles or intense laser fields. In this work, a unified and accurate theoretical formalism is proposed on the direct multielectron processes of atoms including the multiple Auger decay and multiple ionization by an impact of an energetic electron or a photon based on the atomic collision theory described by a correlated many-body Green's function. Such a practical treatment is made possible due to different coherence features of the particles (matter waves) in the initial and final states. We first explain how the coherence characteristics of the ejected continuum electrons is largely destructed, by taking the electron impact direct double ionization process as an example. This process is completely different from the single ionization where the complete interference can be maintained. The detailed expressions are obtained for the energy correlations among the continuum electrons and energy resolved differential and integral cross sections according to the separation of knock-out and shake-off mechanisms for the electron impact direct double ionization, direct double and triple Auger decay, and double and triple photoionization processes. The approach is applied to investigate the electron impact double ionization processes of C$^+$, N$^+$, and O$^+$, the direct double and triple Auger decay of the K-shell excited states of C$^{+}$ $1s2s^22p^2$ $^2D$ and $^2P$, and the double and triple photoionization of lithium. Comparisons with available experimental and theoretical results show that our proposed theoretical formalism is accurate and effective in treating the atomic multielectron processes.