A simple cluster model calculation scheme which successfully describes
the line shape and intensity ratio of recent spin resolved Fe 3s spec
tra of metallic Fe has been developed. From fitting the 3s spectra of
bcc-bulk Fe, we found that the configuration interaction effect is imp
ortant to the understanding of the 3s spectra. This model was applied
to the Fe 3s spectra obtained from the ultrathin [0.7, 1.7, and 2 mono
layer (ML)] Fe overlayers on Cu(100), and the 3s spectra of thin films
were described well within our cluster model framework. Indeed the di
fference between the Fe 3s spectra of ultrathin films and bulk-bcc Fe
was found to be consistent with the fact that the local magnetic momen
t of ultrathin films is smaller than that of the bcc bulk in our model
. However, we did not find significant changes of the experimental 3s
spectra between 0.7-, 1.7-, and 2-ML-thin films, which means that loca
l magnetic moments of thin films do not change much below 2 ML.