Coster-Kronig continuum

As seen in Table 2, for those solutions which occur outside the gCK continuum the width is quite small, being determined by the much weaker Coster-Kronig and Auger processes. For a number of elements we have included the dipole parts of the following Coster-Kronig fluctuation and decay processes ... 

Since the energy of the electron in the Coster-Kronig decay is high up in the continuum (cf. Fig. 2) one can argue that the choice of basis set is not very critical and that neglecting the attraction of the extra hole is compensated for by neglecting the repulsion from coupling the electron-hole excitation to P. 

Comprehensive theoretical calculations of radiative transition rates as well as Auger and Coster-Kronig transition rates are available. However, uncertainties are large for Coster-Kronig transitions with small excess energy due to the strong influence of several effects (i) many-body interactions in the initial and final atomic systems, (ii) relaxation in the final ionic state, and (iii) exchange interaction between the continuum electron and the final bound-state electrons. For an experimental determination of decay rates, various techniques have been employed, e.g., the use of radioactive sources or coincidence techniques. Most techniques... 

Multiple hole creation may result from direct excitation or from Auger and Coster-Kronig processes (see [2]). Under ion bombardment direct ionization to the target continuum of states can compete with electron capture by the projectile. It is known, that X-ray spectra excited by heavy ions may show intense multiple emissions whose energies correspond to electron- or photon-excited satellites. A great number of experiments and theoretical calculations then refer to one-electron transition in multi-ionized atoms [4]. 

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