Coster-Kronig transition probability f₂₃ in gold atoms

We have investigated the Coster-Kronig transition probability f₂₃ in gold atoms (nuclear charge Z=79) using the L x-ray versus K x-ray coincidence method. K vacancies were created using synchrotron radiation and the cascade decays were measured using germanium x-ray detectors. We find f₂₃=0.112±0.004 which is somewhat lower than the recent coincidence measurement of Santra et al. which yielded f₂₃=0.119±0.003. Our result is smaller than the values calculated by McGuire (f₂₃=0.132) and Puri et al. (f₂₃=0.129) but agrees with our own single-configuration Pauli-Fock calculation, which gives f₂₃=0.114, as well as the global set of prior experimental data.