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Electron Cascades Produced by Photoelectrons in Diamond

Secondary electron cascades are responsible for significant ionizations in macroscopic samples during irradiation with X-rays. A quantitative analysis of these cascades is needed, e.g. for assessing damage in optical components at X-ray free-electron lasers, and for understanding damage in samples exposed to the beam. Here we present results from Monte Carlo simulations, showing the space-time evolution of secondary electron cascades in diamond. These cascades follow the impact of a single primary electron at energies between 0.5-12 keV, representing the usual range for photoelectrons. The calculations describe the secondary ionizations caused by these electrons, the three-dimensional evolution of the electron cloud, and monitor the equivalent instantaneous temperature of the free-electron gas as the system cools during expansion. The dissipation of the impact energy proceeds predominantly through the production of secondary electrons whose energies are comparable to the binding energies of the valence (40-50 eV) and the core electrons (300 eV) in accordance with experiments and the models of interactions. The electron cloud generated by a 12 keV electron is strongly anisotropic in the early phases of the cascade (t <= 1 fs). At later times, the sample is dominated by low energy electrons, and these are scattered more isotropically by atoms in the sample. The results show that the emission of secondary electrons approaches saturation within about 100 fs, following the primary impact. At an impact energy of 12 keV, the total number of electrons liberated in the sample is <= 400 at 1000 fs. The results provide an understanding of ionizations by photoelectrons, and extend earlier models on low-energy electron cascades (E=0.25 keV, [ziaja,ziaja2]) to the higher energy regime of the photoelectrons.