Status report on ECR ion source operation at the GSI accelerator facilities

The Caprice electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source of the high charge state injector (HLI) as standard injection line for the UNILAC at GSI is now in permanent operation during all beam time periods of a year. So the ECR test stand which is equipped with the same version of Caprice mainly has to be used for preparatory work. Ion beams of a great variety of elements are demanded covering beam time periods of up to six weeks. Besides the stable and reliable operation with diverse gases the application of our high-temperature oven has become a standard method for all solid materials attaining a vapor pressure of 10(-3) mbar between 800 and 1500 degrees C. It has been operated not only with pure metal samples but also with especially produced isotopic zinc oxide samples providing a stable beam of Zn-68(10+) ions. Alternatively a low-temperature evaporator was constructed for high vapor pressure materials and was used for the production of Se and Zn ions. Experiences gained with the oven and evaporator method will be reported and results will be summarized. In order to investigate and improve ion extraction and beam transport through the low energy beam line under conditions equivalent to the HLI a new ECR injector setup is being built which is equipped with an identical analyzing system. The basic concept of the new setup is described. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics.