Abstract

It has been conjectured that atomic motions fundamentally different from those presently observed may be driven under extreme conditions of irradiation. Indeed, it has been suggested^1-4 that ordered many-electron motions of outer-shell electrons could lead to enhanced rates of coupling from the radiation field to an atom. In order to study the conditions necessary for new atomic responses to occur and to determine the influence of possible damping mechanisms, the properties of ion charge state distributions,⁵ electron energy spectra,⁶ and harmonic radiation⁷ produced by irradiation of atoms with ultra-violet radiation with different pulse lengths, wavelengths, and intensities have been investigated.

© 1986 Optical Society of America