Some consequences of the Auger effect: fluorescence yield, charge potential, and energy imparted

The potential energy produced by the Auger cascade due to the charging of atoms is evaluated and incorporated into conventional treatment of energy deposition. A straightforward method for calculating this energy is presented. For the photoelectric interaction the potential energy is shown to be at least as important as L-shell fluorescence in calculating the electron kerma. For radioactive decay by electron capture or internal conversion, it is shown that, for small (less than 100 nm) targets containing the decay, the atomic charging can be the dominant contribution to the total energy deposited in the target.