Electron beam ion sources and traps (invited)

Abstract

The electron beam method of stepwise ionization to highest charge states has found applications in electron beam ion sources (EBISs) for accelerators and atomic physics collision experiments as well as in electron beam ion traps (EBITs) for x-ray and mass spectroscopy. A dense and almost monoenergetic electron beam provides a unique tool for ionization, because radiative recombination by slow electrons is negligible and charge exchange is almost avoided in ultrahigh vacua. These are essential differences to electron cyclotron resonance ion sources with inevitable low energy electrons and comparatively high gas pressure. The distinction between EBIS and EBIT as genuine devices has become meaningless, because EBISs may work as traps and almost all EBITs are feeding beamlines for external experiments. More interesting is to note the diversification of these devices, which demonstrates that a matured technology is finding dedicated answers for different applications. At present we may distinguish six major lines of development and application: high current EBISs for upcoming hadron colliders, super EBITs in the energy range above 300 keV for quantum electrondynamics tests, inexpensive and small EBISTs for atomic physics studies, a highly efficient EBIS with oscillating electrons, MEDEBIS for tumor therapy with C6+, and charge breeding in facilities for exotic radioactive beams.