TUNNELING IONIZATION AND ABOVE-BARRIER DECAY OF ATOMS UNDER THE ACTION OF PULSED-LASER RADIATION

Analysis of conditions typical for experiments on the ionization of at oms and atomic ions in the held of an intense laser pulse with the adi abaticity parameter gamma less than or equal to 1 shows that ionizatio n is due to the tunneling effect on the leading edge of the laser puls e rather than due to above-barrier decay at the maximum of the pulse. Conditions of experiments where the above-barrier decay of atoms and a tomic ions can be observed are specified.