M. Žitnik

Design and performance of a versatile curved-crystal spectrometer for high-resolution spectroscopy in the tender x-ray range

A complete in-vacuum curved-crystal x-ray emission spectrometer in Johansson geometry has been constructed for a 2-6 keV energy range with sub natural line-width energy resolution. The spectrometer is designed to measure x-ray emission induced by photon and charged particle impact on solid and gaseous targets. It works with a relatively large x-ray source placed inside the Rowland circle and employs position sensitive detection of diffracted x-rays. Its compact modular design enables fast and easy installation at a synchrotron or particle accelerator beamline. The paper presents main characteristics of the spectrometer and illustrates its capabilities by showing few selected experimental examples.

Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering at the limit of subfemtosecond natural lifetime

We present measurements of the resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS) spectra of the CH(3)I molecule in the hard-x-ray region near the iodine L(2) and L(3) absorption edges. We show that dispersive RIXS spectral features that were recognized as a fingerprint of dissociative molecular states can be interpreted in terms of ultrashort natural lifetime of ∼200 attoseconds in the case of the iodine L-shell core-hole. Our results demonstrate the capacity of the RIXS technique to reveal subtle dynamical effects in molecules with sensitivity to nuclear rearrangement on a subfemtosecond time scale.

Single photon simultaneous K-shell ionization and K-shell excitation. I. Theoretical model applied to the interpretation of experimental results on H2O

We present in detail a theoretical model that provides absolute cross sections for simultaneous core-ionization core-excitation (K(-2)V) and compare its predictions with experimental results obtained on the water molecule after photoionization by synchrotron radiation. Two resonances of different symmetries are assigned in the main K(-2)V peak and comparable contributions from monopolar (direct shake-up) and dipolar (conjugate shake-up) core-valence excitations are identified. The main peak is observed with a much greater width than the total experimental resolution. This broadening is the signature of nuclear dynamics.

Dissociation of chloromethanes upon resonant σ* excitation studied by x-ray scattering

The dissociation process following the Cl K-shell excitation to σ* resonances is studied by high resolution spectroscopy of resonant elastic and inelastic x-ray scattering on CH3Cl, CH2Cl2, CHCl3, and CCl4 molecules. Calculations employing the transition potential and Delta-Kohn-Sham DFT approach are in good agreement with the measured total fluorescence yield and show the presence of a second quasidegenerate group of states with σ* character above the lowest σ* unoccupied molecular orbital for molecules with more than one Cl atom. A bandwidth narrowing and a nonlinear dispersion behavior is extracted from the Kα spectral maps for both σ* resonances. The fitted data indicate that the widths of the Franck-Condon distributions for the first and second σ* resonances are comparable for all the molecules under study. In addition, an asymmetric broadening of the emission peaks is observed for resonant elastic x-ray scattering with zero detuning on both σ* resonances. This is attributed to the fast dissociation, transferring about 0.15 of the scattering probability into higher vibrational modes.

Single photon simultaneous K-shell ionization and K-shell excitation. II. Specificities of hollow nitrogen molecular ions

The formalism developed in the companion Paper I is used here for the interpretation of spectra obtained recently on the nitrogen molecule. Double core-hole ionization K(-2) and core ionization-core excitation K(-2)V processes have been observed by coincidence electron spectroscopy after ionization by synchrotron radiation at different photon energies. Theoretical and experimental cross sections reported on an absolute scale are in satisfactory agreement. The evolution with photon energy of the relative contribution of shake-up and conjugate shake-up processes is discussed. The first main resonance in the K(-2)V spectrum is assigned to a K(-2)π(∗) state mainly populated by the 1s→ lowest unoccupied molecular orbital dipolar excitation, as it is in the K(-1)V NEXAFS (Near-Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure) signals. Closer to the K(-2) threshold Rydberg resonances have been also identified, and among them a K(-2)σ(∗) resonance characterized by a large amount of 2s/2p hybridization, and double K(-2)(2σ(∗)/1π/3σ)(-1)1π(∗2) shake-up states. These resonances correspond in NEXAFS spectra to, respectively, the well-known σ(∗) shape resonance and double excitation K(-1)(2σ(∗)/1π/3σ)(-1)1π(∗2) resonances, all being positioned above the threshold.

Chemical State Analysis of Phosphorus Performed by X-ray Emission Spectroscopy

An experimental and theoretical study of phosphorus electronic structure based on high energy resolution X-ray emission spectroscopy was performed. The Kα and Kβ emission spectra of several phosphorus compounds were recorded using monochromatic synchrotron radiation and megaelectronvolt (MeV) proton beam for target excitation. Measured spectra are compared to the results of ab initio quantum chemical calculations based on density functional theory (DFT). Clear correlation between energy position of the Kα emission line and the phosphorus formal oxidation state as well as DFT-calculated number of valence electrons is obtained; measured energy shifts are reproduced by the calculations. Chemical sensitivity is increased further by looking at the Kβ emission spectra probing directly the structure of occupied molecular orbitals. Energies and relative intensities of main components are given together with the calculated average atomic character of the corresponding molecular orbitals involved in transitions.

Dissociation dynamics of simple chlorine containing molecules upon resonant Cl K-σ* excitation

A theoretical analysis of dissociation dynamics of chlorine K-σ(*) core-excited molecules is performed. The potential energy surfaces of HCl, Cl2, CH3Cl, CH2Cl2, CHCl3, CCl4, CFCl3, CF2Cl2, and CF3Cl are calculated along the normal vibrational modes of the ground electronic state yielding the widths of the corresponding Franck-Condon distributions. An insight into the potential energy surface of 1st σ(*) resonances shows that the initial dissociation dynamics of chloro(fluoro)methanes mainly involves the distancing of the carbon and the core-excited chlorine atom and is practically independent of other atoms in the molecule, which is in agreement with the recent experimental findings. The carbon atom pulls out the remaining three atoms shortly after piercing the three-atom plane resulting in a high vibrationally excited state of the fragment if the reconnection time is smaller than the lifetime of the L shell.

3D-reconstruction of an object by means of a confocal micro-PIXE

We recorded a series of spectral maps of a hematite particle by combining a scanning proton microbeam excitation with detection of X-rays by a Si(Li) spectrometer equipped with polycapillary lens. The particle was driven through the sensitive microvolume to allow for a reconstruction of concentration in three dimensions. Beside the description of the experiment, important aspects of data analysis are emphasized to show the potential of the confocal micro-PIXE (Proton Induced X-ray Emission) imaging method: at present, this is limited by the focusing properties of the polycapillary lens.

Sulphur Kβ emission spectra reveal protonation states of aqueous sulfuric acid

In this paper we report an X-ray emission study of bulk aqueous sulfuric acid. Throughout the range of molarities from 1 M to 18 M the sulfur Kβ emission spectra from H2SO4 (aq) depend on the molar fractions and related deprotonation of H2SO4. We compare the experimental results with results from emission spectrum calculations based on atomic structures of single molecules and structures from ab initio molecular dynamics simulations. We show that the S Kβ emission spectrum is a sensitive probe of the protonation state of the acid molecules. Using non-negative matrix factorization we are able to extract the fractions of different protonation states in the spectra, and the results are in good agreement with the simulation for the higher part of the concentration range.

Electronic Structure of Third-Row Elements in Different Local Symmetries Studied by Valence-to-Core X-ray Emission Spectroscopy

The electronic structure of phosphorus, sulfur, and chlorine in compounds with Td and C3v local symmetries was studied with high-resolution Kβ X-ray emission spectroscopy (XES) in the tender X-ray range. Measured spectra are compared to the results of ab initio quantum chemical calculations based on density functional theory (DFT). The spectral structure is reproduced by the model spectra of isolated XO4n– and XO3n– (X = P, S, or Cl) anions incorporating only the first coordination sphere around the central atom. The main spectral components can be explained by the molecular orbital theory. Finally, the potential of XES spectroscopy combined with DFT calculations to study the electronic structure of third-row elements in a slightly larger molecule is investigated.