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Abstract

The novel cryogenic Penning-trap experiment ALPHATRAP is currently set up at
the Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik in Heidelberg. ALPHATRAP is a follow-up
experiment of the Mainz g-factor experiment, extending measurements of the bound
electron g-factor to the high-Z regime. This allows, among others for a high-precision
test of bound-state quantum electrodynamics in the extremely strong fields of highly
charged ions. Ions up to hydrogen-like ²⁰⁸Pb⁸¹⁺ are externally produced in the
Heidelberg electron beam ion trap (EBIT) and will be transferred in a ultra-high
vacuum beamline to the Penning trap-setup.
The commissioning and setup of this beamline is the subject of this thesis. A
second compact non-cryogenic EBIT is used as an offline ion source for the test and
commissioning of the beamline and Penning-trap system. It was shown that with this
compact EBIT, bunches of argon ions up to ⁴⁰Ar¹⁵⁺ can be extracted. For these
ion bunches, the transport through the offline beamline and deceleration, necessary
for the ion injection into the Penning-trap system, were successfully demonstrated.
Results for charge-state distributions from the EBIT and the time of flight of the
ion transport are presented.
For sympathetic laser cooling of the trapped ions in the future, the production of
⁹Be⁺ in an external laser ablation source was demonstrated, and an interim in-trap
ion source for the production of ⁹Be⁺ was constructed.