DISSOCIATION, IONIZATION, AND COULOMB EXPLOSION OF H-2(-INTEGRATION OF THE TIME-DEPENDENT SCHRODINGER-EQUATION() IN AN INTENSE LASER FIELD BY NUMERICAL)

The time-dependent Schrodinger equation for H-2(+) in a strong laser f ield is solved numerically for a model that uses the exact three-body Hamiltonian with one-dimensional nuclear motion restricted to the dire ction of the laser electric field. The influence of ionization on poss ible stabilization against dissociation is investigated. Unexpectedly high ionization rates from high vibrational states, exceeding those of neutral atomic hydrogen, are found. The ionization rates as functions of the internuclear distance R were also calculated for fixed nuclei, and these exhibit two strong maxima at large R, which explain the ful l dynamical results. A series of peaks seen in the calculated proton e nergy spectra can therefore be interpreted as occurring preferentially at (i) turning points of laser-induced vibrationally trapped states, and (ii) at the ionization maxima that occur at large internuclear dis tances of H-2(+).