DEEXCITATION SPECTROSCOPY OF CORE-EXCITED METHYL FORMATE

Autoionization spectra have been measured for methyl formate in which a 1 s electron on either the carbonyl carbon or the carbonyl oxygen ha s been excited to the vacant 4a'' (pi) orbital. Also the carbon and o xygen Auger spectra have been measured. Effects of localization of the valence electrons on the atom with the core hole are apparent in the relative energies of the core-excited levels, in the amount of partici pator decay in the deexcitation spectra, and in the levels of the fina l ion that are populated in the carbon deexcitation. The results of th eoretical calculations are used to interpret these results. The striki ng similarity that has been observed between the oxygen deexcitation s pectra of CO, CO2, and OCS does not extend to methyl formate.