We consider pulses of coherent electromagnetic radiation impinging upon an autoionizing atom. Analytic solutions in the cases of hyperbolic-secant- and exponential-pulse envelopes are given for the ground-state atomic population and for the photoelectron spectrum. The sensitivity of these quantities to the pulse area and to the interference between the autoionizing state and the continuum is studied.

• Received 17 December 1984

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.31.2995