887 research outputs found
Relativistic and retardation effects in the two--photon ionization of hydrogen--like ions
The non-resonant two-photon ionization of hydrogen-like ions is studied in
second-order perturbation theory, based on the Dirac equation. To carry out the
summation over the complete Coulomb spectrum, a Green function approach has
been applied to the computation of the ionization cross sections. Exact
second-order relativistic cross sections are compared with data as obtained
from a relativistic long-wavelength approximation as well as from the scaling
of non-relativistic results. For high-Z ions, the relativistic wavefunction
contraction may lower the two-photon ionization cross sections by a factor of
two or more, while retardation effects appear less pronounced but still give
rise to non-negligible contributions.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figure
Attosecond dynamics through a Fano resonance: Monitoring the birth of a photoelectron
This is the author’s version of the work. It is posted here by permission of the AAAS for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Science on 354, 11 november 2016, DOI: 10.1126/science.aah5188The dynamics of quantum systems are encoded in the amplitude and phase of wave packets. However, the rapidity of electron dynamics on the attosecond scale has precluded the complete characterization of electron wave packets in the time domain. Using spectrally resolved electron interferometry, we were able to measure the amplitude and phase of a photoelectron wave packet created through a Fano autoionizing resonance in helium. In our setup, replicas obtained by two-photon transitions interfere with reference wave packets that are formed through smooth continua, allowing the full temporal reconstruction, purely from experimental data, of the resonant wave packet released in the continuum. In turn, this resolves the buildup of the autoionizing resonance on an attosecond time scale. Our results, in excellent agreement with ab initio time-dependent calculations, raise prospects for detailed investigations of ultrafast photoemission dynamics governed by electron correlation, as well as coherent control over structured electron wave packetsWe thank S. Weber for crucial contributions to the PLFA attosecond beamline, D. Cubaynes, M. Meyer, F. Penent, J. Palaudoux, for setup and test of the electron
spectrometer, and O. Smirnova, for fruitful discussions. Supported by ITN-MEDEA 641789, ANR-15-CE30-0001-01-CIMBAAD, ANR11-EQPX0005-ATTOLAB, the European Research Council Advanced Grant XCHEM no. 290853, the European COST Action XLIC CM1204, and the MINECO Project no. FIS2013-42002-R. We acknowledge allocation of computer time from CCC-UAM and Mare Nostrum BS
Attosecond chirp-encoded dynamics of light nuclei Attosecond chirp-encoded dynamics of light nuclei
International audienceWe study the spectral phase of high-order harmonic emission as an observable for probing ultrafast nuclear dynamics after the ionization of a molecule. Using a strong-field approximation theory that includes nuclear dynamics, we relate the harmonic phase to the phase of the overlap integral of the nuclear wavefunctions of the initial neutral molecule and the molecular ion after an attosecond probe delay. We determine experimentally the group delay of the high harmonic emission from D 2 and H 2 molecules, which allows us to verify the relation between harmonic frequency and the attosecond delay. The small difference in the harmonic phase between H 2 and D 2 calculated theoretically is consistent with our experimental results
A realistic example of chaotic tunneling: The hydrogen atom in parallel static electric and magnetic fields
Statistics of tunneling rates in the presence of chaotic classical dynamics
is discussed on a realistic example: a hydrogen atom placed in parallel uniform
static electric and magnetic fields, where tunneling is followed by ionization
along the fields direction. Depending on the magnetic quantum number, one may
observe either a standard Porter-Thomas distribution of tunneling rates or, for
strong scarring by a periodic orbit parallel to the external fields, strong
deviations from it. For the latter case, a simple model based on random matrix
theory gives the correct distribution.Comment: Submitted to Phys. Rev.
The structure of Chariklo's rings from stellar occultations
Two narrow and dense rings (called C1R and C2R) were discovered around the
Centaur object (10199) Chariklo during a stellar occultation observed on 2013
June 3. Following this discovery, we planned observations of several
occultations by Chariklo's system in order to better characterize the physical
properties of the ring and main body. Here, we use 12 successful occulations by
Chariklo observed between 2014 and 2016. They provide ring profiles (physical
width, opacity, edge structure) and constraints on the radii and pole position.
Our new observations are currently consistent with the circular ring solution
and pole position, to within the km formal uncertainty for the ring
radii derived by Braga-Ribas et al. The six resolved C1R profiles reveal
significant width variations from to 7.5 km. The width of the fainter
ring C2R is less constrained, and may vary between 0.1 and 1 km. The inner and
outer edges of C1R are consistent with infinitely sharp boundaries, with
typical upper limits of one kilometer for the transition zone between the ring
and empty space. No constraint on the sharpness of C2R's edges is available. A
1 upper limit of m is derived for the equivalent width of
narrow (physical width <4 km) rings up to distances of 12,000 km, counted in
the ring plane
The non-convex shape of (234) Barbara, the first Barbarian
Asteroid (234) Barbara is the prototype of a category of asteroids that has
been shown to be extremely rich in refractory inclusions, the oldest material
ever found in the Solar System. It exhibits several peculiar features, most
notably its polarimetric behavior. In recent years other objects sharing the
same property (collectively known as "Barbarians") have been discovered.
Interferometric observations in the mid-infrared with the ESO VLTI suggested
that (234) Barbara might have a bi-lobated shape or even a large companion
satellite. We use a large set of 57 optical lightcurves acquired between 1979
and 2014, together with the timings of two stellar occultations in 2009, to
determine the rotation period, spin-vector coordinates, and 3-D shape of (234)
Barbara, using two different shape reconstruction algorithms. By using the
lightcurves combined to the results obtained from stellar occultations, we are
able to show that the shape of (234) Barbara exhibits large concave areas.
Possible links of the shape to the polarimetric properties and the object
evolution are discussed. We also show that VLTI data can be modeled without the
presence of a satellite.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figure
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