M X-ray production in Nd, Gd, Ho and Lu by 1-6 MeV lithium ions

M-shell X-rays of the rare-earth elements 60Nd, 64Gd, 67Ho and 71Lu were measured for lithium ion bombardment in the energy range 1.0-6.0 MeV. The M-shell X-rays with energies of 0.978-1.631 keV were detected with a LINK analytical detector. The efficiency of the detector was determined by using the known atomic-field bremsstrahlung cross-sections from low energy electron beams and K-shell X-ray measurements with light projectiles. The measured cross-sections are compared to the predictions of the first Born approximation and the ECPSSR (energy loss and Coulomb deflection effects, perturbed stationary state approximation with relativistic correction) theories. The best theoretical description of the present data is given by the ECPSSR theory, even though the discrepancy between data and theory is increasing at higher projectile energies