Structural changes in bunched crystalline ion beams

Measurements of the spatial distribution of bunched crystalline ion beams in the radio frequency quadrupole storage ring PALLAS are presented for different ratios of the longitudinal and the transverse confinement strengths. The length of highly elongated crystalline ion bunches and its dependence on the bunching voltage is compared to predictions for a one-dimensional ion string and three-dimensional space-charge-dominated beams. The length is found to be considerably shorter than that predicted by the models. Furthermore, the scaling of the length with the bunching voltage is shown to differ from the expected inverse cube root scaling. These differences can partially be attributed to the formation of a mixed crystalline structure. Additionally, a concise mapping of the structural transition from a string to a zig-zag configuration as a function of the ratio of the confinement strengths is presented, which in a similar way deviates from the predictions. PACS numbers: 29.20.Dh, 41.75.−I, 52.27.Gr, 05.70.Fh