F.H.M. Faisal and A. Becker
Fakultaet fuer Physik, Universitaet Bielefeld, D-33615 Bielefeld Germany
Investigations of double and multiple ionizations of atoms in intense laser fields have recently experimenced a number of remarkable developments, both expereimentally and theoretically. We present the results of our analysis [1-2], of the experimental results for the total ion-signals (e.g., [3], and references 1-10, cited in Comments [1]), as well as that for the most recent observation of the distribution of the recoil momentum of the doubly charged ions [4,5]. The theoretical and experimental results are to be compared and the insights gained for the dynamics of the process are to be discussed. Among other things, the following results are obtained. (i) It is shown [1-3] that during the NS double and multiple ionization processes, an `energy-sharing mechanism via e-e correlation' plays a dominant role in transfering the energy gained from the field by one electron to the other. (ii) The remarkable characteristic features of the first experimental data on the recoil momentum distribution of doubly charged ions [4,5] is analysed and is shown [6] to arise from the combined effect of e-e correlation and the final state `Volkov-dressing' of the two out going electrons in the field. (iii) An anlytical cut-off formula for the maximum width of the recoil ion's momentum distribution is derived [6].
References:
[1] F.H.M. Faisal and A. Becker, Comments on Mod. Phys., D 1, 15 (1999).
[2] A. Becker and F.H.M. Faisal, Phys. Rev. A 59, R1742 (1999); ibid, R3182; J. Phys. B 32, L335 (1999).
[3] B. Walker et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 73, 1227 (1994).
[4] Th. Weber et al., Phys. Rev Lett., 84, 443 (2000).
[5] R. Moshammer et al., Phys. Rev. Lett., 84, 447 (2000).
[6] A. Becker and F.H.M. Faisal, (to be published, 2000).