High-resolution study of the Xe 4d5/2:4d3/2 branching ratio

The Xe 4d5/2:4d3/2 branching ratio has been determined in the photon energy range 80-250 eV using high-resolution electron spectroscopy and undulator radiation at the new Finnish beamline at the MAX I storage ring. The results were found to be in a satisfactory agreement with the calculated literature values obtained with the relativistic random-phase approximation. A few discrepancies between the theoretical predictions and our experimental results indicate additional correlation effects not accounted for in theory. The branching ratio is now shown to have a maximum of about 1.6 at around 230 eV. Lifetime widths of 114(4) and 121(4) meV are obtained for the 4d3/2 and 4d5/2 core hole states, respectively.