Single and Multiple Ionization in Strong Ion-Induced Fields

Abstract

This Chapter summarizes a wealth of recent results, obtained within less than a decade, on correlated few-particle quantum dynamics explored in the fragmentation of atoms being exposed to strong (10¹⁵-10²¹ W/cm²), attosecond (10^-18 s) electromagnetic half-cycle pulses that are generated in collisions with fast highly charged ions as illustrated in Fig. 21.1. With the development of “Reaction Microscopes” (see Chap. 2.1 and Fig. 2.8 in this book) in 1994 [1], a breakthrough in the experimental investigation of atomic fragmentation has been achieved, allowing for the first time access to the final-state vectormomenta of several electrons and of the recoiling target ion with high resolution and, to a large extent, independent of their relative energies and emission directions. In other words, these techniques enable simultaneous mapping of a major part, typically more than 80%, of the complete multi-dimensional (9D for single ionization) final-state momentum space, thus, visualizing the square of the many-particle final-state wave function, as will be illustrated below.