Effect of the electrostatic plasma lens on the emittance of a high-current heavy ion beam

We describe measurements we have made of the emittance of a high-current, moderate-energy ion beam after transport through a permanent-magnet electrostatic plasma lens. The results indicate the absence of emittance growth due to the lens, when the lens is adjusted for optimal beam focusing. The measured normalized emittance for a 32 keV Cu2+ ion beam formed by a vacuum arc ion source was 0.6 pi mm mrad at a beam current of 50 mA rising more-or-less linearly to 2.2 pi mm mrad at 250 mA, and was conserved in beam transport through the lens. These results have significance for the application of high-current ion sources and the electrostatic plasma lens to particle accelerator injection. (C) 2005 American Institute of Physics.