Relativistic $L$-shell Auger and Coster-Kronig rates and fluorescence yields

Relativistic calculations of radiationless transition rates to $L$-subshell vacancy states in selected atoms with $70\le Z\le 96$ have been performed. The Auger and Coster-Kronig transition probabilities are calculated from perturbation theory, assuming frozen orbitals, in the Dirac-Hartree-Slater approach. Transition rates, fluorescence yields, and Coster-Kronig yields are compared with nonrelativistic theoretical results and with experiment. Relativity is found to affect the $L$-subshell Auger widths by (10-25)% and individual transition rates to certain $j-j$ configurations by as much as 40% at $Z=80\mathrm{}$. The widths of $L_i$ vacancy states and the $L_2$ Coster-Kronig yields $f_{23}$ from these relativistic calculations agree much better with experiment than earlier nonrelativistic theoretical values.