Inner-shell photodetachment of Na$^-$ and electron-impact ionization of auto-ionizing states in Na.

We have used the $B$-spline $R$-matrix (close-coupling) method with non-orthogonal sets of orbitals~[1] to calculate inner-shell photo\-detachment of Na$\rm ^-(3s^2)$ for incident photon energies between 30 and 50$\,$eV. Satisfactory agreement is obtained with the measurements of Covington {\it et al.}~[2]. With the same computational model for the e-Na (half) collision, we can also treat electron impact excitation of the $\rm (2p^5 3s^2)^2P_{3/1,1/2}$ auto\-ionizing states in sodium. Our results for the latter process will be compared with new experimental data, obtained with an energy width (FWHM) of $200\!-\!250\,$meV in the incident beam~[3]. This improvement in the energy resolution made it possible, for the first time, to resolve the near-threshold excitation of the two fine-structure components $\rm (2p^5 3s^2)^2P_{3/2,1/2}$ separately. \par\noindent [1] O.~Zatsarinny, Comp.~Phys.~Commun. {\bf 174} (2006) 273. [2] A.M.~Covington {\it et al.}, J. Phys. B~{\bf 34} (2001) L735. [3] A.A. Borovik, O. Zatsarinny, and K. Bartschat; Book of Abstracts ICPEAC XXV (in press).