Photodetachment in combined static and dynamic electric fields - art no. 033405

Through an exact solution of the time-dependent Schrodinger equation for an electron in a static electric field plus the time-dependent electric field of the detaching radiation, the photodetachment cross section of H- is cal culated. Careful attention is paid to ensuring proper limiting behavior as the frequency of the time-dependent field goes to zero. We do not find obse rvable effects of a cross term between the two fields on the detachment cro ss section. Our results point to possible gauge dependence and other diffic ulties of S-matrix formulations of multiphoton detachment and ionization.