The TITAN electron beam ion trap: assembly, characterization, and first tests

Abstract

The precision of mass measurements in a Penning trap is directly proportional to an ion's charge state and can be increased by using highly charged ions (HCI) from an Electron Beam Ion Trap (EBIT). By bombarding the injected and trapped singly charged ions with an intense electron beam, the charge state of the ions is rapidly increased. To use this method for short-lived isotopes, very high electron beam current densities are required of the TITAN EBIT, built and commissioned at the Max-Planck-Institute for Nuclear Physics in Heidelberg, Germany and transported to TRIUMF for the TITAN on-line facility. This EBIT has produced charge states as high as Kr34+ and Ba54+ with electron beams of up to 500 mA and 27 keV. Once the EBIT is operational at full capacity (5 A, 60 keV), most species can be bred into a He-like configuration within tens of ms.