The KβX-ray emission spectrum of argon: a theoretical account

Detailed calculations on the K beta X-ray emission spectrum of atomic argon are reported, using CI wavefunctions based on MCDF-EAL calculations for a number of configurations of varying degrees of excitation and ionisation. Crude approximations to the total widths of states, initial-state populations from shake theory and radiative transition probabilities calculated in a transition orbitals approach were used to obtain line intensities which were synthesised into a predicted spectrum which could be compared with experiment. It is shown that the Rydberg spectator transition (1s)((3p)4p 1 S) 2 S-(3p 2 1 D)34p 2 P 0 contributes substantially to the K beta v satellite, altering its shape from that predicted in a simple model which includes only primary hole states, and bringing it into agreement with the experimentally determined shape. It was not possible to identify the major contributions the the K beta " satellite, but the (1s3s) transitions could be excluded by energy considerations, and the most likely contributions are considered to be the (1s3p 2 )-(3p 3 ) transitions with or without Rydberg spectator satellites.