EXPERIMENTAL STUDIES OF ELECTRON-BEAM NEUTRALIZATION

This report presents results of experiments performed between 1994 and 1996 by a CERN/JINR collaboration, aimed to study the problem of the generation of intense electron beams whose space charge is neutralised by the residual gas ions. The problem is related to the development o f electron cooling methods. The large space charge potential for high density electron beams is a significant drawback for the cooling proce ss. In order to reduce this effect, an electron beam neutralisation sy stem has been implemented on the LEAR cooler and the JINR test bench. In this paper we briefly discuss the physics of the neutralisation pro cess, technological aspects of neutralisation, the measurement techniq ues and the results.