Optimization of the Electron Emission From Carbon Nanotubes for Electron Cooling in ELENA

Electron cooling is a process that guarantees beam quality in low energy antimatter facilities. In ELENA the electron cooler allows to reduce the emittance blow-up of the antiproton beam, thus delivering highly focused and bright beams at the unprecedented low energy of 100 keV to the experiments. In order to have a "cold" beam at such low energy, the electron gun of the cooler must emit a monoenergetic and relatively intense electron beam. Simulations have shown that efficient cooling can be achieved with a 5 mA electron beam having transverse energy spread of less than 100 meV and longitudinal energy spread of about 1 meV. A thermionic gun is currently used in operation, although it limit…