Li+ alumino-silicate ion source development for the neutralized drift compression experiment.

We report results on lithium alumino-silicate ion source development in preparation for warm dense matter heating experiments on the new neutralized drift compression experiment II. The practical limit to the current density for a lithium alumino-silicate source is determined by the maximum operating temperature that the ion source can withstand before running into problems of heat transfer, melting of the alumino-silicate material, and emission lifetime. Using small prototype emitters, at a temperature of ≈1275 °C, a space-charge limited Li(+) beam current density of J ≈1 mA/cm(2) was obtained.

Absolute measurement of electron-cloud density in a positively charged particle beam.

Clouds of stray electrons are ubiquitous in particle accelerators and frequently limit the performance of storage rings. Earlier measurements of electron energy distribution and flux to the walls provided only a relative electron-cloud density. We have measured electron accumulation using ions expelled by the beam.