Small rare gas clusters in laser fields: ionization and absorption at long and short laser wavelengths

The interaction of short laser pulses with small rare gas clusters is investigated by using a microscopic, semi-classical model with an explicit treatment of the inner-atomic dynamics. Field and collisional ionization as well as recombination are incorporated self-consistently so that the use of rates for these processes could be avoided. The laser absorption and ionization mechanisms in clusters at near-infrared (800 nm) and VUV wavelengths (100 nm) are analysed.