Polarized electron inner-shell ionization-with-excitation of zinc atoms

The ionization-with-excitation collision process, from the ground 3d(10)4S( 2) S-1(0) state to the ionic 3d(9)4S(2) D-2(3/2) state of the zinc atom, ha s been investigated using incident polarized electrons with near-threshold energies. The observed Stokes parameters of the emitted 589.4 nm photon sho w that the residual ion is aligned and oriented. These observations also in dicate directly the electron exchange effects in the inner-shell ionization -with-excitation process. From these measured Stokes parameters the normali zed state multipoles, the electric quadrupole moment of the orbital angular momentum and the magnetic dipole moment of the spin angular momentum of th e excited ionic state are derived. The combination of electron exchange and fine-structure coupling enable a net negative angular momentum transfer to the atomic system. The contributions from various partial waves and from t he spin-orbit interaction to the ionization-with-excitation process are dis cussed.