The driven three body Coulomb problem

Abstract

The three body Coulomb problem is one of the oldest unsolved problems of theoretical physics, and holds a variety of puzzling problems, on both the classical and quantum levels. It is of paradigmatic importance since it bears dynamical and spectral features that establish a link between single and many-particle dynamics, with the absolute minimum of ingredients. When additionally exposed to a time-periodic external perturbation, the effective dimension of the classical phase space as well as of Hilbert space increases dramatically. This gives rise to new phenomena, which stimulate research in such remote areas as mathematical physics, semiclassics and intense-field laser–matter interactions. In the present review, we illustrate how these different areas are interconnected by three interacting particles.