Feasibility study of a laser ion source for primary ion injection into the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider electron beam ion source.

Charge state 1+ions are required as a primary ion source for Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider-electron beam ion source (RHIC-EBIS) at BNL and laser ion source (LIS) is a candidate as one of the external ion source since low energy and low charge state ions can be generated by lower power density laser irradiation onto solid target surface. Plasma properties of Al27, Fe56, and Ta181 using the second harmonics of Nd:yttrium aluminum garnet laser (0.73J∕5.5ns and 532nm wavelength) for low charge state ion generation was measured. Charge state distribution of Ta was optimized for 1+with estimated laser power density of 9.1×108W∕cm2 on the target. It has been shown that the LIS can produce sufficient ion charge with the appropriate pulse structure to satisfy injection requirements of the RHIC EBIS.