IONIZATION OF THE ONE-DIMENSIONAL COULOMB ATOM IN AN INTENSE LASER FIELD

Interaction of the one-dimensional (1D) Coulomb atom with an intense r adiation field is analyzed using the ''hard'' Coulomb potential V(c)(x )=-1/\x\ and the ''soft'' Coulomb potential V(x)=-1/square-root x2 + 1 . Evolution of the probability wave packet and the photoelectron spect ra is simulated numerically. In strong fields it is found (a) that the electron wave packet can break up into individual subpackets, (b) tha t there is a one-to-one correlation between the subpackets in space an d the above-threshold-ionization peaks in energy, and (c) that a spati al confinement of the probability density can occur at a very high int ensity. Finally, an example is given which indicates that the 1D ''har d'' Coulomb atom is less stable than the 1D ''soft'' Coulomb atom.