Techniques for enhancing the performance of high charge state ECR ion sources

Electron Cyclotron Resonance ion source (ECRIS), which produces singly to highly charged ions, is widely used in heavy ion accelerators and is finding applications in industry. It has progressed significantly in recent years thanks to a few techniques, such as multiple-frequency plasma heating, higher mirror magnetic fields and a better cold electron donor. These techniques greatly enhance the production of highly charged ions. More than 1 emA of He2+ and O6+, hundreds of eμA of O7+, Ne8+, Ar12+, more than 100 eμA of intermediate heavy ions with charge states up to Ne9+, Ar13+, Ca13+, Fe13+, Co14+ and Kr18+, tens of eμA of heavy ions with charge states up to Xe28+, Au35+, Bi34+ and U34+ were produced at cw mode operation. At an intensity of about 1 eμA, the charge states for the heavy ions increased up to Xe36+, Au46+, Bi47+ and U48+. More than an order of magnitude enhancement of fully stripped argon ions was achieved (I≥0.1 and h;eμA). Higher charge state ions up to Kr35+, Xe46+ and U64+ at low intensities were produced for the first time from an ECRIS. copyright 1999 American Institute of Physics