The planned plasma lens experiment at the UCLA Neptune Laboratory is described. In the experiment, electron beams with an energy of 16 MeV, a charge of 4 nC, and a pulse duration of 30 ps full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) are designed to be produced from the 1.625-cell photoinjector radio-frequency gun (f=2.856 GHz) and PWT linac in the Neptune. The generated beams are passed through a thin plasma with a density of low 10/sup 12/ cm/sup -3/ range and a thickness of a few centimeters. For this experiment, a LaB/sub 6/-based discharge plasma source was developed and tested. In this paper, the overview of the planned plasma lens experiment and the test results of the plasma source for various conditions are presented. In addition, computer simulations with a 2-1/2 dimensional particle-in-cell code (MAGIC) were performed and the simulation results are shown. (19 References). /home/httpd/docserver/releases/20080613005430/public/paper/file/435/suk_2000_0151.pdf suk_2000_0151.pdf 0 435 Electron beamsElectron lensesPlasma densityPlasma devicesPlasma diagnosticsPlasma simulationPlasma-beam interactionsPlasma devices and applications [A5275], Particle beam interactions in plasma [A5240M], Plasma simulation [A5265], Plasma diagnostic techniques and instrumentation [A5270], Plasma temperature and density [A5225L]plasma source test, plasma source simulation, underdense plasma lens experiment, UCLA Neptune Laboratory, electron beam energy, pulse duration, electron beam charge, discharge plasma, photoinjector RF gun, photoinjector radio-frequency gun, PWT linac, thin plasma, plasma density, plasma thickness, LaB/sub 6/-based discharge plasma source, plasma lens experiment, computer simulations, 2-1/2 dimensional particle-in-cell code, MAGIC PIC code, dynamically focused beams, electron beam momentum, axial distance, 4 MeV, 2.856 GHz Publisher: IEEE, USA. Electron volt energy 4.0E+06 eV Frequency 2.856E+09 Hz English Journal Paper 0 2000 IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science 151 271-7 2000