Chaos-induced pulse trains in the ionization of hydrogen.
We predict that a hydrogen atom in parallel electric and magnetic fields, excited by a short laser pulse to an energy above the classical saddle, ionizes via a train of electron pulses. These pulses are a consequence of classical chaos induced by the magnetic field. We connect the structure of this pulse train (e.g., pulse size and spacing) to fractal structure in the classical dynamics. This structure displays a weak self-similarity, which we call "epistrophic self-similarity." We demonstrate how this self-similarity is reflected in the pulse train.
Mitchell
K A
KA
Department of Physics, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795, USA.
Handley
J P
JP
Tighe
B
B
Flower
A
A
Delos
J B
JB