Multielectron coincidence spectroscopy of the Ar2+(2p-2) double-core-hole decay

The dominant decay pathways of argon 2p-2 double-core-hole states have been investigated using synchrotron radiation and a magnetic-bottle-type spectrometer coupled with an ion time-of-flight spectrometer. This experiment allows for efficient multi-electron-ion coincidence measurements, and thus for following the Auger cascade step by step in detail. Dominant decay pathways leading to Ar4+ final states via Ar3+ intermediate states have been assigned with the help of theoretical ab initio calculations. The weak correlated decay of the two core holes by emission of a single Auger electron, leading to Ar3+ final states, has been observed at 458.5-eV kinetic energy. Compared to the total decay of the 2p-2 double core vacancies, this two-electron-one-electron process was measured to have a branching ratio of 1.9 x 10-3 & PLUSMN; 1.0 x 10-3. Furthermore, the remaining decay paths of the Ar1+ (1s-1) core hole to higher charge states and their respective contributions to the total yield have been analyzed and show very good agreement with theoretical results.