Fano effect in the photoionization cross section of Pb

We report on pseudo-relativistic calculations of the photoionization cross-section of Pb near the 6s26p 2p3/2 threshold. We have studied the interactions between the following configurations: 6p3/2nd * 6p3/2ns * 6p1/2εd and show that the structure observed by Griessmann et al. is accounted for by inclusion of the 6s6p3 configuration which introduces a Fano minimum in the calculated photoabsorption cross-section between the lowest ionization thresholds. Thus we support the suggestion by Griesmann et al. that the dramatic change in the course of the photoionization cross-section is due to a Fano type interference effect and that the uppermost levels of 6s6p3 are responsible for it. Progress in the ab initio calculation of autoionization widths and profiles of some of these odd parity J=1 resonances will be reported