Polarized 3He Ion Source Based on the 23S1 Metastable State

This 3He polarized ion source is based on the 23S1 metastable atomic state. We produce an intense metastable beam, 6 × l015p.sec-1.sr-1, of energies between 0.07 and 0.1 eV, using a cold cathode discharge. The separation and focussing of Zeeman components (F=1/2 mF=1/2) and (F=3/2 mF=3/2) is effected with a sextupole of varliable gap. An adiabatic RF transition enhances the nuclear polarization (theoretical) to 100%. Most design parameters of the source are now frozen for operation inside the H.V. terminal of a CN van de Graaff, but the source is of universal use in (+) ion accelerators.