An extraction algorithm for core level excitations in non-resonant inelastic x-ray scattering spectra

Non-resonant inelastic X-ray scattering of core electrons is a prominent tool for studying site-selective, i.e. momentum-transfer-dependent, shallow absorption edges of liquids and samples under extreme conditions. A bottleneck of the analysis of such spectra is the appropriate subtraction of the underlying background owing to valence and core electron excitations. This background exhibits a strong momentum-transfer dependence ranging from plasmon and particle-hole pair excitations to Compton scattering of core and valence electrons. In this work an algorithm to extract the absorption edges of interest from the superimposed background for a wide range of momentum transfers is presented and discussed for two examples, silicon and the compound silicondioxide.