Calculation of a hydrogen atom photoionization in a strong magnetic field by using the angular oblate spheroidal functions

Abstract

A new efficient method for calculating the photoionization of a hydrogen atom in a strong magnetic field is developed based on the Kantorovich approach to the parametric boundary problems in spherical coordinates using the orthogonal basis set of angular oblate spheroidal functions. The progress as compared with our previous paper (Dimova M G, Kaschiev M S and Vinitsky S I 2005 J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 38 2337–52) consists of the development of the Kantorovich method for calculating the wavefunctions of a continuous spectrum, including the quasi-stationary states imbedded in the continuum. Resonance transmission and total reflection effects for scattering processes of electrons on protons in a homogenous magnetic field are manifested. The photoionization cross sections found for the ground and excited states are in good agreement with the calculations by other authors and demonstrate correct threshold behavior. The estimates using the calculated photoionization cross section show that due to the quasi-stationary states the laser-stimulated recombination may be enhanced by choosing the optimal laser frequency.