The study of atomic systems exposed to super-intense laser fields de- fines an important area in atomic, molecular and optical physics. Although the concept of super-intense field has no absolute meaning, it is now usual to call an electromagnetic field super-intense when it exceeds the atomic binding field. In the case of the simplest atomic system, hydrogen in its 16 2 ground state, this occurs above an intensity of 3. 5 x 10 Wattfcm which is the atomic unit of intensity. Presently at the laboratory scale and in ex- tremely short and tightly focussed laser pulses, the electric field...

The study of atomic systems exposed to super-intense laser fields de- fines an important area in atomic, molecular and optical physics. Although the concept of super-intense field has no absolute meaning, it is now usual to call an electromagnetic field super-intense when it exceeds the atomic binding field. In the case of the simplest atomic system, hydrogen in its 16 2 ground state, this occurs above an intensity of 3. 5 x 10 Wattfcm which is the atomic unit of intensity. Presently at the laboratory scale and in ex- tremely short and tightly focussed laser pulses, the electric field...

The rapid development of powerful pulsed lasers is at the origin of a conside rable interest in studying the response of an atom, a molecule (or a solid) to a strong electromagnetic field. It is now possible to produce at the laboratory scale, ultra-short 13 pulses with a duration of 100 femtoseconds (10- second) and a power of the order 12 of 1 terawatt (10 Watt). Under these conditions, very high peak intensities may be obtained and electric fields exceeding typical electron binding fields in atoms are generated. The interaction of an atom or a molecule with such electromagnetic fields has...