Recent Developments in MaMFIS Technology for the Production of Highly Charged Ions

Abstract

We present results for the production of highly charged ions in a rippled electron beam propagating in a multi-section drift tube with different electrostatic potentials in an axial magnetic focusing field. The inner-shell ionization of target atoms by electron impact occurs in local ion traps formed at the electron-beam crossovers. The utmost electron current density achieved is assessed at ~10 kA/cm2. The successive ionization of cathode materials and working substances such as xenon and bismuth was investigated as a function of the confinement time. The characteristic X-ray radiation from ions including Ir62+, Ce48+, Xe46+, and Bi60+ was detected. It is shown that it is possible to extract highly charged ions from local ion traps for a certain geometry of the drift tube structure and a certain distribution of the electric potentials.

Keywords

• highly charged ions
• rippled electron beam
• local ion trap
• charge breeding
• radioactive isotopes
• heavy elements