Comment on the determination of charge states of ions moving through solids from the analysis of X-ray spectra.

Abstract

The author discusses a recent paper by Fortner and Garda in which these workers analyze thick-target x-ray yields and spectra and derive populations of projectile inner- and outer-shell vacancies, and concludes that some effects which were not considered should be taken into account in any such analysis. These include the generation of target x rays by recoiling target atoms, vacancy sharing, collisional quenching and the effect of differences in the wave functions of outer-shell electrons, x-ray energies, and transition rates in solids as compared with gases.