Polarized ion source

Abstract

A polarized ion source giving a current of about 0.1μA has been constructed. The background from nonpolarized deuterons is 1–2%, and that from protons is 10–15%. The degree of alignment of the deuterons has been checked; this is revealed in the anisotropy of the angular distribution of α partides in the reaction T(d,n)He4.The degree of alignment equals P2 = −0.326 ± 0.01, which agrees closely with the theoretical value P2 = −0.328 for an orienting field of 10 Oe. This latter leads to the conclusion that the polarization of the protons is about 50% and that of the deuterons about 33%. Cooling the water dissociator with liquid nitrogen increases the intensity approximately by a factor of two.