Beta decay and other processes in strong electromagnetic fields
  We consider effects of the fields of strong electromagnetic waves on various
characteristics of quantum processes. After a qualitative discussion of the
effects of external fields on the energy spectra and angular distributions of
the final-state particles as well as on the total probabilities of the
processes (such as decay rates and total cross sections), we present a simple
method of calculating the total probabilities of processes with production of
non-relativistic charged particles. Using nuclear beta-decay as an example, we
study the weak and strong field limits, as well as the field-induced beta-decay
of nuclei stable in the absence of the external fields, both in the tunneling
and multi-photon regimes. We also consider the possibility of accelerating
forbidden nuclear beta-decays by lifting the forbiddeness due to the
interaction of the parent or daughter nuclei with the field of a strong
electromagnetic wave. It is shown that for currently attainable electromagnetic
fields all effects on total beta-decay rates are unobservably small.
