This textbook extends from the basics of femtosecond physics all the way to some of the latest developments in the field. In this updated edition, the chapter on laser-driven atoms is augmented by the discussion of two-electron atoms interacting with strong and short laser pulses, as well as by a review of ATI rings and low energy structures in photo-electron spectra. In the chapter on laser-driven molecules a discussion of 2D infrared spectroscopy is incorporated. Theoretical investigations of atoms and molecules interacting with pulsed lasers up to atomic field strengths on the order of 10^16 W/cm(2) are leading to an understanding of many challenging experimental discoveries. The presentation starts with a brief introduction to pulsed laser physics. The basis for the non-perturbative treatment of laser-matter interaction in the book is the time-dependent Schroedinger equation. Its analytical as well as numerical solution are laid out in some detail. The light field is treated classically and different possible gauges for the field-matter interaction are discussed. Physical phenomena, ranging from paradigmatic Rabi-oscillations in two-level systems to the ionization of atoms, the generation of high-order harmonics, the ionization and dissociation of molecules, as well as the control of chemical reactions are presented and discussed on a fundamental level. In this way, the theoretical background for state of the art experiments with strong and short laser pulses is given. The new text is augmented by several additional exercises and now contains a total of forty-eight problems, whose worked-out solutions are given in the last chapter. In addition, some detailed calculations are performed in the appendices. Furthermore, each chapter ends with references to more specialized literature.

This textbook extends from the basics of femtosecond physics all the way to some of the latest developments in the field. In this updated edition, the chapter on laser-driven atoms is augmented by the discussion of two-electron atoms interacting with strong and short laser pulses, as well as by a review of ATI rings and low energy structures in photo-electron spectra. In the chapter on laser-driven molecules a discussion of 2D infrared spectroscopy is incorporated. Theoretical investigations of atoms and molecules interacting with pulsed lasers up to atomic field strengths on the order of 10^16 W/cm(2) are leading to an understanding of many challenging experimental discoveries. The presentation starts with a brief introduction to pulsed laser physics. The basis for the non-perturbative treatment of laser-matter interaction in the book is the time-dependent Schroedinger equation. Its analytical as well as numerical solution are laid out in some detail. The light field is treated classically and different possible gauges for the field-matter interaction are discussed. Physical phenomena, ranging from paradigmatic Rabi-oscillations in two-level systems to the ionization of atoms, the generation of high-order harmonics, the ionization and dissociation of molecules, as well as the control of chemical reactions are presented and discussed on a fundamental level. In this way, the theoretical background for state of the art experiments with strong and short laser pulses is given. The new text is augmented by several additional exercises and now contains a total of forty-eight problems, whose worked-out solutions are given in the last chapter. In addition, some detailed calculations are performed in the appendices. Furthermore, each chapter ends with references to more specialized literature.

Seit dem Erscheinen des zweibandigen Standardwerkes von F. HoNCAMP, "Handbuch der Pflanzenernahrung und Dungerlehre", sind mehr als dreissig Jahre vergangen. Bei den sturmischen Fortschritten auf allen Gebieten der Natur- wissenschaften, insbesondere der Chemie, Pflanzenphysiologie, Biochemie, Bodenkunde und Technologie, ist dieses zur Zeit seines Erscheinens so aus- gezeichnete Handbuch naturlich langst veraltet. Zweifellos besteht heute ein dringendes Bedurfnis nach einem ahnlichen Werk. Wenn wir von dem ursprunglichen Plan abgekommen sind, das HoNCAMP- sche Handbuch in neuer Auflage zu bearbeiten, so vor allem deswegen, weil die tiefgreifende Entwicklung auf diesem Gebiet eine vollig neue Gestaltung des Werkes geboten erscheinen liess. Es gliedert sich nun in drei Bande. Band I behandelt im wesentlichen die physiologischen Grundlagen der Pflanzenernahrung. Er enthalt eine ausfuhrliche und systematische Darstellung der eigentlichen Ernahrungsphysiologie. Auf eine Erorterung der allgemeinen pflanzenphysiologischen Grundlagen konnte dabei verzichtet werden, weil im RuHLANDschEin "Handbuch der Pflanzenphysiologie" ein umfassendes und modernes Nachschlagewerk zur Verfugung steht. Band II beschaftigt sich mit dem Boden und den Dungemitteln. Unter Berucksichtigung der modernen Agrikulturchemie haben wir das heutige Wissen uber den Boden als Standort und Nahrstoffquelle der Pflanze unter den Verhalt- nissen der landwirtschaftlichen Praxis und des Gartenbaues bzw. des Forstwesens systematisch zusammengefasst. Die folgenden Kapitel befassen sich mit der Beschreibung und Herstellung der verschiedenen Wirtschafts- und Handels- dungemittel. Gerade auf diesem Gebiet bestehen in der wissenschaftlichen Literatur erhebliche Lucken, da keine grosseren Lehr- oder Handbucher vorhanden sind, die sich eingehender mit der Technologie der Dungemittel und der Dungung beschaftigen.

Theoretical investigations of atoms and molecules interacting with pulsed or continuous wave lasers up to atomic field strengths on the order of 10 DEGREES16 W/cm are leading to an understanding of many challenging experimental discoveries. This book deals with the basics of femtosecond physics and goes up to the latest applications of new phenomena. The book presents an introduction to laser physics with mode-locking and pulsed laser operation. The solution of the time-dependent Schrodinger equation is discussed both analytically and numerically. The basis for the non-perturbative treatment of laser-matter interaction in the book is the numerical solution of the time-dependent Schrodinger equation. The light field is treated classically, and different possible gauges are discussed. Physical phenomena, ranging from Rabi-oscillations in two-level systems to the ionization of atoms, the generation of high harmonics, the ionization and dissociation of molecules as well as the control of chemical reactions are presented and discussed on a fundamental level. In this way the theoretical background for state of the art experiments with strong and short laser pulses is given. The text is augmented by more than thirty exercises, whose worked-out solutions are given in the last chapter. Some detailed calculations are performed in the appendices. Furthermore, each chapter ends with references to more specialized literature."

The development of modern pulsed lasers with power densities larger than 16 ?2 10 Wcm and with very short pulse duration in the femtosecond regime enables experimentalists to study elementary processes such as chemical - actions and excitation mechanisms in di?erent areas in physics in the time domain. In parallel to the experimental investigations, analytical and num- ical studies of laser-driven atoms and molecules with a limited number of degrees of freedom are performed. These theoretical investigations have led to the prediction and/or the explanation of a large variety of partly count- intuitivephenomena. Amongthosearethegenerationofhighharmonicsusing laser-excitedatomsormolecules, theionizationofatomsabovethecontinuum threshold, the stabilization of atoms against ionization in very strong ?elds, counter-intuitive pulse sequences to selectively populate vibrational states in moleculesand, lastbutnotleast, thecontrolofchemicalreactionsbyspecially tailored laser pulses. This book originated from a course, that I have been giving on a regular basis since 2000 for advanced undergraduate and graduate students at Te- nische Universit] at Dresden. It o?ers a theoretically oriented approach to the ?eld of laser-driven atomic and molecular systems and requires some kno- edge of basic classical and quantum mechanics courses as well as of classical electrodynamics. The book has two introductory chapters in Part I that pave the way for the applications in Part II. Part I and also Chap. 3 of Part II contain of textbook knowledge that is needed to understand the rest of the book. The material presented in the last two chapters is close to the recent l- erature