Angular distribution and spin polarisation of Auger electrons

The angular distribution and spin polarisation of Auger electrons following atomic collisions are discussed for the case where both the target atom and the projectile are unpolarised. General expressions for the angular distribution and polarisation of Auger electrons in the (LS)J coupling approximation are obtained and analysed. In the particular case of the p_3/2 subshell vacancy the anisotropy coefficient and polarisation are expressed in terms of Auger-decay matrix elements. It is shown that spin-polarised Auger electron spectroscopy of atoms can provide new information on both the Auger process and the structure of atomic hole states, namely, the Auger-decay matrix elements and their relative phaseshifts.