Chemical Effects on the Lifetime of 1s-Hole States

The linewidths of 1s photoelectron energy spectra have been measured for carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen, each in a variety of molecules in the gas phase. The linewidths of a given element increase with decreasing binding energy of the 1s electron. We interpret these changes in linewidth to be due to changes in the lifetime of the 1s hole caused by changes in the chemical environment.