  Resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) spectra of model copper- and
nickel-based transition metal oxides are measured over a wide range of energies
near the M-edge (h$\nu$=60-80eV) to better understand the properties of
resonant scattering involving shallow core levels. Standard multiplet RIXS
calculations are found to deviate significantly from the observed spectra.
However, by incorporating the self consistently calculated decay lifetime for
each intermediate resonance state within a given resonance edge, we obtain
dramatically improved agreement between data and theory. Our results suggest
that these textured lifetime corrections can enable a quantitative
correspondence between first principles predictions and RIXS data on model
multiplet systems. This accurate model is also used to analyze resonant elastic
scattering, which displays the elastic Fano effect and provides a rough upper
bound for the core hole shake-up response time.
