The Double ElectroStatic Ion-Ring ExpEriment, DESIREE

We describe the status of the DESIREE facility, which is an electrostatic ion-storage device consisting of two storage rings with a common section, where ion beams of opposite charges stored in the two rings are merged. The electrostatic storage rings are mounted in a single common vacuum vessel, which is isolated inside an outer vacuum chamber and cooled by means of four cryogenerators. This unique system will allow for studies of interaction among ions of opposite charges at well controlled conditions both in terms of internal degrees of freedom and relative velocity. An advanced ion-beam production system for intense pulses of cold complex molecular ions is also presented.