Electron emission from laser-irradiated atomic clusters

Abstract

The mechanism of fast-electron emission from laser-irradiated clustersis studied by model calculations. Rescattering of electrons at thecharged cluster is shown to be an important process. In contrast torescattering at atoms, the structure, that is the size and strength, ofthe scattering potential determines final kinetic energies of theelectrons. This becomes evident in a strong cluster-size dependence ofthe electron spectra.