Double Excitations in Helium Atoms and Lithium Compounds

Abstract: This thesis addresses the investigation of doubly excited 2l´nl states in helium atoms and double core excitations in solid lithium compounds.Measurements on He are made in field free environments and under the influence of electric and magnetic fields, using synchrotron based inelastic photon scattering. Cross sections for scattering to singly excited final states are directly determined and compared to theoretical results and are found to be in excellent agreement. Radiative and spin-orbit effects are quantified and are shown to play an important role in the overall characterization of highly excited He states below the N =2 threshold. A dramatic electric field dependence is also observed in the flourecence yield already for relatively weak fields. This signal increase, induced by electric as well as magnetic fields, is interpreted in terms of mixing with states of higher fluorescence branching ratios.Double core excitations at the lithium site in solid lithium compounds are investigated using resonant inelastic x-ray scattering (RIXS). The lithium halides LiF, LiCl, LiBr and LiI are studied as well as the molecular compounds Li2O, Li2CO3 and LiBF4. States with one, as well as both, of the excited electrons localized at the site of the bare lithium nucleus are identified, and transitions which involve additional band excitations are observed. A strong influence of the chemical surrounding is found, and it is discussed in terms of the ionic character of the chemical bond.