  Ultrafast science depends on different implementations of the well-known
pump-probe method. Here we provide a formal description of ultrafast disruptive
probing, a method in which the probe pulse disrupts a transient species that
may be a metastable ion or a transient state of matter. Disruptive probing has
the advantage of allowing simultaneous tracking of the yield of tens of
different processes. Our presentation includes a numerical model and
experimental data on multiple products resulting from the strong-field
ionization of two different molecules, partially-deuterated methanol and
norbornene. In combination with ion imaging and/or coincidence momentum
imaging, or as complementary to atom-specific probing or ultrafast diffraction
methods, disruptive probing is a particularly powerful tool for the study of
strong-field laser-matter interactions.
