Electron string phenomenon: physics and use

Electron string phenomenon arises as a result of phase transition of a state of multiply reflected electron beam to this new discovered state of one component electron plasma and can be easily observed in the reflex mode of EBIS operation. The transition goes via a strong instability, which causes considerable electron energy spread, which in its turn suppresses the instability. Electron string state is a stationary state of hot pure electron plasma, which is heated by injected electron beam and cooled because of electron loses. Electron string is quiet in broad regions of experimental parameters, so that it is used for confinement and ionization of positive ions by electron impact to highly charge states similar to electron beams in EBIS. Application of electron strings instead of electron beams for ion production allows to save about 99% of electric power of electron beam and simultaneously to improve reliability of an ion source considerably. The JINR EBIS `Krion-2' in the string mode of operation is used for production of N7+, Ar16+ and Fe24+ ion beams and their acceleration to relativistic energies on the facility of the JINR super conducting one turn injection synchrotron `Nuklotron'. The tubular electron string possibly can exist and it is under study now theoretically and experiments are prepared now. Estimations show that a Tubular Electron String Ion Source (TESIS) could have up to three orders of magnitude higher ion output then a Linear one (LESIS). In frames of nuclear astrophysics electron strings can be used for research of fusion nuclear reactions at low energies in conditions when both beam and target nuclei do not carry orbital electrons. The project NARITA — Nuclear Astrophysics Researches in an Ion Trap Apparatus is proposed. Polarization effects also can be studied.