Ion sources are invaluable tools for producing charge particles for scientific, industrial, and medical applications. In particular, Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) ion sources (ECRIS) are high power sources capable of producing high intensity, high charge state beams of heavy ions. The system uses microwaves to resonantly heat of electrons within an inhomogeneous magnetic trap. However, the internal dynamics of the resulting plasma are complex and poorly understood. In particular, the excitation of kinetic instabilities within the plasma can make operating these ion sources difficult and unpredictable. This thesis focuses on studying these instabilities to determine ways to optimize ECRIS performance by minimizing their impact on the extracted beam current.This study focuses on two measurements that look at the steady-state and time-resolved measurements of charged particle currents escaping the ion source during stable and unstable operations. The first measurement is a novel diagnostic of electrons escaping confinement from the plasma chamber. The second was a measurement of high charge state ions (Ar8+) extracted from the plasma chamber over a broad set of parameter spaces. These measurements provide insight into the ideal operating conditions for an ECR ion source and the dynamics of the ion and electron populations within its plasma.
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