Production of Multiply Charged Ions by Strong uv Laser Pulses: Theoretical Evidence for Stepwise Ionization

Abstract

It is pointed out that the charge-state distribution produced by intense ultraviolet laser radiation is a Poissonian, rather than the binomial which prevails under infrared radiation, and hence that ionization occurs stepwise during the pulse. This result is shown to be consistent with experimental data as well as with recent theoretical advances.