Prospects of ion beam extraction and transport simulations

Beam profile measurements using viewing targets and emittance measurements with pepper pot devices have established new insights about the ion beam extracted from an electron cyclotron resonance ion source (ECRIS). In our measurements we have compared two different ECRISs of CAPRICE type, one source was equipped with a standard 1.0 T hexapole magnet, whereas for the other ion source a stronger hexapole magnet with a flux density of 1.2 T has been installed. The resulting ion beam profile for each individual charge state produced by different focal strengths of an optical element can be used to estimate the emittance, but it also shows the negative influence of the hexapole on the extracted ion beam. A hexapole correction would be desirable to improve further beam transport. A possible correction scheme will be discussed. All experimental observations can be reproduced by computer simulation if a magnetic plasma is assumed. When the Larmor radius for ions becomes small, collisions are negligible for the path of ions within the plasma. Low energy electrons are highly movable along the magnetic field lines and can compensate the ion space charge within the plasma chamber.