  Calculations of L-shell x-ray absorption in transition metals are shown to be
sensitive to screening, both of the x-ray field and the photoelectron-core hole
interaction. This screening is calculated using a generalization of the time
dependent local density approximation and a projection onto a local atomic
basis. The approach yields renormalized dipole-matrix elements which account
for the observed deviations of the L_3/L_2 branching ratio from the 2:1 value
of independent electron theory.
