Ionization potentials Auger spectra

If the work function is smaller than the ionization potential of metastable state (see. Fig. 5.18b), then the process of resonance ionization becomes impossible and the major way of de-excitation is a direct Auger-deactivation process similar to the Penning Effect ionization a valence electron of metal moves to an unoccupied orbital of the atom ground state, and the excited electron from a higher orbital of the atom is ejected into the gaseous phase. The energy spectrum of secondary electrons is characterized by a marked maximum corresponding to the... 

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