Photoemission study of the existence of a valence-band satellite in Fe.

The photon-energy dependence of the angle-resolved photoemission of Fe(110) has been measured to investigate the existence of a valence-band satellite. Contrary to the earlier observation of a satellite at about 6 eV below the Fermi edge, no satellite feature is found in the spectra measured on the clean surface, even for excitations around the 3p threshold. In spectra measured after exposing the surface to oxygen, a feature appears at about 6 eV. Such an oxygen-induced feature could spuriously be regarded as a valence-band satellite. The plot of the intensity of the main 3d band versus the excitation energy shows a profile with only a dip near the 3p threshold, while the similar plot for the ${M}_{23}$VV super Coster-Kronig emission has a profile with a single peak.