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How does electron kinetic energy vary with atomic number?

I'm using techniques like XPS, where the measured kinetic energy of a photoelectron is crucial. The simple Coulomb model suggests higher Z means tighter binding, which would affect the leftover kinetic energy after ionization. I need to confirm this relationship to properly calibrate my simulations and interpret spectral data across different elements.

 

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By Archana Bagga Answered 1 year ago

For an electron removed from an equivalent shell (e.g., the 1s orbital), its kinetic energy post-ionization increases with atomic number. I've verified this trend consistently in XPS data. The reason is that the binding energy increases roughly with Z² due to the stronger nuclear charge. When you irradiate with a fixed photon energy, the tighter-bound electron absorbs more energy to escape, leaving it with less residual kinetic energy. So, the trend is: higher Z → lower photoelectron KE for a given shell and photon energy.

 

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