Abstract
The local atomic environment of the constituent elements of alloys, compounds, and chemisorbed complexes can be probed by transitions involving their core levels. However, dynamic screening of a suddenly created or annihilated core hole complicates interpretation of the lineshapes associated with these transitions, since (1) the threshold shape is modified by coupling to electron-hole pairs, (2) strong satellite structure can be produced by coupling to characteristic excitations of conduction electrons, and (3) screening is more efficient at the surface, which decreases the core electron binding energies relative to the bulk. To illustrate the dissimilar coupling for different spectroscopies, we contrast K-shell spectra of graphite obtained by appearance potential spectroscopy, characteristic loss spectroscopy, and Auger electron spectroscopy.