Electron cyclotron resonance ion sources of highly charged ions: from classical to superconducting sources

Along their continuous performance progression, electron cyclotron resonanc e ion sources (ECRIS) of highly charged ions must now cope with new demandi ng confinement requirements, specifically, higher magnetic fields in device s of larger dimensions, that can be realized only with superconducting coil s. In this article we deal with the present state of the art of ECRIS, summ arize the underlying plasma physics and the main ECRIS issues, and present the source performances and the existing and projected devices. Emphasis is given to the expected perspectives of the transition from present "classic al" sources (those using only copper coils and permanent magnets) to superc onducting sources using superconducting windings. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V.