Abstract. We report on the measurement of the wakefield of an ion moving through a beam–foil plasma using an indirect experimental method. The standard beam–foil time-of-flight technique is used to measure the lifetime of the perturbed H-like V 2s²S_1/2 state due to its passage through the wakefield. This measured lifetime along with the theoretical lifetimes of pure H-like V 2s²S_1/2 and 2p²P_1/2 states has been used to determine the Stark mixing parameter of H-like 2s²S_1/2 and 2p²P_1/2 states, which is further exploited to determine the wakefield at the surface of the exit foil. The wakefield intensity during the passage of 160 MeV ⁵¹₂₃V ion through thin C-foil as well as Au-foil is found to be as high as 3.2 ± 0.07 × 10⁷ V cm⁻¹.

Print publication: Issue 22 (28 November 2009)
Received 1 September 2009
Published 30 October 2009