Development of polarized 3He ion source.

A long history on the polarized 3He ion source developed at RCNP is presented. We started with an “OPPIS” (Optical Pumping Polarized Ion Source) and later found the fundamental difficulties in the OPPIS. To overcome them an “EPPIS” (Electron Pumping Polarized Ion Source) was proposed and its validity was experimentally proven. However, a serious technical disadvantage was also found in the EPPIS. To avoid this disadvantage we proposed a new concept, “SEPIS” (Spin Exchange Polarized Ion Source), which uses an enhanced spin-exchange cross section theoretically expected at low 3He+ incident energies for the 3He+ + Rb system. Next, we describe the present status of the SEPIS development; construction of a bench test device allowing the measurements of not only the spin-exchange cross sections σse but also the electron capture cross sections σec for the 3He+ + Rb system. The latest experimental data on σec are presented and compared with other previous experimental data and the theoretical calculations. A design study of the SEPIS for practical use in nuclear (cyclotron) and particle physics (synchrotron) is shortly mentioned. Finally, we mention possibility to polarize ions heavier than 3He as an application of SEPIS. The theoretical calculation showed that σse comparable to that for the 3He+ + Rb is expected for the Li2+ + Rb system, which suggests that the SEPIS will hopefully be a general tool to polarize any heavy ions. © 2007 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]