We investigate the stability of a classical three-dimensional hydrogen atom subject to a periodic train of alternating δ-like pulses, or ‘‘kicks.’’ The intense-field stabilization effect, widely investigated for the case of monochromatically driven atoms, is numerically shown to occur in this purely classical model, and its dependence on various parameters is analyzed. Our results support the view that classical intense-field stabilization is determined by the stability of the motion in a direction transverse to the field polarization, and confirm previously established estimates for the onset of stabilization.

• Received 29 June 1994

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.50.5018