A detailed understanding of the physics of space-charge-dominated
beams is vital in the design of heavy ion inertial fusion (HIF)
drivers. In that regard, low-energy, high-intensity electron
beams provide an excellent model system. The University of Maryland
Electron Ring (UMER), currently being installed, has been designed
to study the physics of space-charge-dominated beams with extreme
intensity in a strong focusing lattice with dispersion. At 10
keV and 100 mA, the beam from the UMER injector has a generalized
perveance as much as 0.0015, corresponding to that of proposed
HIF drivers. Though compact (11 m in circumference), UMER will
be a very complex device by the time of its completion (expected
2003). We present an update on the construction as well as recent
experimental results.