The effects of beam line pressure on the beam quality of an electron cyclotron resonance ion source

The results of a series of measurements studying the possibility to use neutral gas feeding into the beam line as a way to improve the quality of the heavy ion beams produced with an electron cyclotron resonance ion source (ECRIS) are presented. Significant reduction of the beam spot size and emittance can be achieved with this method. The observed effects are presumably due to increased space charge compensation degree of the ion beam in the beam line section between the ion source and the analyzing magnet. This is the region where the neutral gas was injected. It is shown that the effects are independent of the ion source tuning. Transmission measurements through the beam line and K-130 cyclotron have been carried out to study the effects of improved ion beam quality to the transmission efficiency.