INTERACTION OF HALF-CYCLE RADIATION PULSE WITH RYDBERG STATES OF ATOMIC-HYDROGEN

We describe the results of our solutions of the time-dependent Schrodi nger equation for Rydberg states of atomic hydrogen exposed to a short pulse of ''half-cycle'' long-wavelength radiation. By ''short'' we me an that the duration of the pulse is much less than the Kepler period of the Rydberg state being irradiated. Comparison is made with the res ults of experiments which have been reported recently [R. Jones, D. Yo u, and P. Bucksbaum, Phys. Rev. Lett. 70, 1236 (1993)].