Extraction of highly charged ions (up to 90+) from a high-energy electron-beam ion trap

Abstract

The extraction of high-Z high-charge-state ions up to U90+ from a high-energy electron-beam ion trap, the SuperEBIT at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, is reported. The SuperEBIT provides a 240 mA electron beam with up to 200 keV of energy. Depending on the operating conditions (pulsed, continuous) and charge state, the number of ions extracted from the SuperEBIT varies between 102 and 105 ions per second under the tested conditions. The ions produced in SuperEBIT are extracted at potentials ranging from 0.5 to 20 keV (continuously variable) to provide highly charged low-emittance ion beams with energies between a few keV and several MeV. The performance of the SuperEBIT as an ion source is described and aspects for future developments and potential applications are discussed.