Normalised angular distribution of L1 and Lα fluorescent x-rays from Pb at 59.57 keV

Theoretical calculations of Flugge et al. show that the atomic inner shell vacancies created in different modes of atomic ionisation are aligned in the vacancy state with total angular momentum j ≥ 3/2. Therefore, the x-rays accompanying the filling of the vacancies should be anisotropic and polarised. Consequently, L1 and Lα x-ray peaks, originating purely from L3 sub shell with j = 3/2, may show anisotropic angular distribution