Slow highly charged ion facility at RIKEN

To study collision processes of slow and ultra-slow highly charged ions (HC I), with atoms, molecules, and surfaces, we have been constructing a slow h ighly charged ion facility at RIKEN. A 14.5 GHz Caprice type ECR ion source (ECRIS) is used as the primary ion source of the facility. At present, the energy of the ion beam from the ECRIS ranges from 10 eV/q to 20 keV/q, whe re q is the charge state of the ions. In order to further reduce the energy (< 1 eV/q), we are developing two different schemes, which is one of the m ost important feature of the facility. The two schemes are (1) a positron c ooling of HCIs and (2) a multiple ionization of neutral atoms or singly-cha rged ions with a femtosecond (fs) Tera-Watt (TW) laser. This paper presents an overview of the present facility and the schemes to produce ultra-slow HCI beams, which are expected to open new research fields.