Relativistic calculations of M-shell photoionization and X-ray production cross-sections for Hg at 5.96 keV excitation energy

•We compute X-ray production cross-sections (XPCS) in Hg at 5.96 keV.•XPCS are obtained with all parameters derived consistently in the same approach.•Calculations are done using the state-of-the-art relativistic method.•Results are in good agreement with experimental values.

In this work we calculate photoionization and X-ray production cross-sections (XPCS) of M-shell vacancies in Hg at an incident photon energy of 5.96 keV (low energy X-rays of 55Fe radioactive source) using the Dirac–Fock method. Calculations are performed in single configuration approach with the Breit interaction and some vacuum polarization corrections included in the self-consistent method. Higher-order retardation corrections, self-energy and other vacuum polarization effects were also included as perturbations. Fluorescence and Coster–Kronig yields necessary to derive XPCS were obtained in a previous work using the exact same approach.