Electron transitions as a result of interaction between a heavy ion and an ultrashort electromagnetic pulse

The electron transitions arising when a heavy relativistic ion interacts with a spatially nonuniform ultrashort electromagnetic pulse are studied by solving the Dirac equation, and expressions for the excitation and ionization probabilities are derived. One-electron inelastic processes that accompany the interaction between the ultrashort pulses and hydrogen-like atoms are considered by way of example. The approach developed in this article makes it possible to accurately include the spatial nonuniformity of the ultrashort pulse field.