Resonant inelastic x-ray scattering at the L-3 edge of samarium

We have studied the 2p3d resonant inelastic x-ray scattering spectra of Sm and compared them with a model calculation. The 2p-->4f excitation process was calculated by means of a well-established atomic model and 2p-->5d was treated in a phenomenological way. We use the satisfactory agreement with e xperiment to examine the relation between quadrupole and dipole terms in th e intermediate and final states. A significant deviation from single partic le behavior is revealed. This is further discussed in relation to similar e xperiments performed on CeF3, an ionic compound with a 4f(1)5d(0) ground st ate configuration, and to x-ray magnetic circular dichroism data taken from the literature. [S0163-1829(99)06643-6].