Optimization of the Stockholm R-EBIT for production and extraction of highly charged ions

• Published in: Journal of instrumentation 2010-11, Vol.5 (11), p.C11003-C11003, Article C11003
• Main Authors: Hobein, M, Orban, I, Böhm, S, Solders, A, Suhonen, M, Fritioff, T, Tashenov, S, Schuch, R
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Atom- och molekylfysik; Atomfysik; Atomic and molecular physics; Atomic physics; Fysik; NATURAL SCIENCES; NATURVETENSKAP; Physics
• ISSN: 1748-0221; 1748-0221
• DOI: 10.1088/1748-0221/5/11/C11003

We describe a refrigerated EBIT (R-EBIT) commissioned at the AlbaNova Research Center at Stockholm University. As an innovative solution, the superconducting magnet and the trapping drift tubes of the R-EBIT are cooled to a temperature of 4 K by a set of two cooling heads connected to helium compressors. This dry, i.e. liquid helium and liquid nitrogen free, system is easily operated and creates highly charged ions at a fraction of the cost of traditional liquid-cooled systems. A pulsed and continuous gas injection system was developed to feed neutral particles into the electron beam in the trap region. This improves significantly the highly charged ion production and R-EBIT performance. Fast extraction of ions from the R-EBIT yields very short ( < 100 ns), charge-separated ion bunches which can be either analysed using a straight time-of-flight section or sent to experimental beam lines following selection in a bending magnet. An emittance meter was used to measure the emittance of the ions extracted from the R-EBIT. The extracted ions were also re-trapped in a cylindrical Penning trap and properties of the re-trapped ions have been measured using the emittance meter. Results of these measurements are reported in this publication.