K- and L-shell ionization of heavy targets by various 20- and 80-MeV/u projectiles

K- and L-shell ionization induced by 20 MeV/u He, C, O, and Ne beams on Ta, Pb, and Th targets, and 80 MeV/u He, C, O beams on a Pb target has been studied. K x-ray production cross sections have been measured and compared with theoretical calculations. Probabilities of creation of one additional L-shell hole, accompanying a K-shell hole, have been deduced from experimental data, using the theoretical positions and intensities of the diagram and satellite K x-ray lines, obtained from the multiconfiguration Dirac-Fock calculations. This approach avoids explicit measurements of the L x-rays and can be applied with the use of a standard Ge detector.