Method of determining the value of the Coster-Kronig parameter (f23)

The present work demonstrates the utility and efficacy of a technique to measure the Coster-Kronig parameter (f23) of elemental targets. For this purpose a pure gold foil was irradiated in a beam of 88-keV γ rays from a radioactive 109Cd source. The photoinduced K and L x rays emitted from the gold foil were then measured in coincidence, with the data collected in the list mode. On analysis, the f23 value of gold was found to be 0.119±0.003. The technique demonstrated here is different in the sense that, in contrast to the earlier coincidence methods, where the x rays emitted directly from a radioactive source are detected in coincidence, in the present method the x rays of the elements under investigation are obtained by photoionization