Excitation and decay dynamics of 1s2s inner-shell double-vacancy states of neon atoms

The photo-excitation and Auger decay processes of inner-shell double vacancy states 1s2s2p^6(^1,3S)3s3p of neutral neon atoms have been studied theoretically. Multi-configuration Dirac--Fock (MCDF) calculations have been carried out, with electron correlation effects taken into consideration. The relaxation of core and excited orbitals and configuration interaction are found to be crucial to creating the double vacancy states by single photo-absorption. The predominant decay paths for the double vacancy states turn out to be of the LLM Auger decay to 1s 2s^22p^53s(3p), KLL Auger decay to 1s^22s2p^43s3p, and KLM Auger decay to 1s^22p^63s(3p). They lead to further Auger decay, creating the neon ions of multiple charge states. For both double and single vacancy states the spectator type of Auger process is dominated in all the Auger decay processes. Theoretical Auger electron spectra are presented for further investigations, experimental and theoretical.