The first stage of the Fermilab Electron Cooling R&D program
is now complete: a technology necessary to generate hundreds of milliamps
of electron beam current at MeV energies has been demonstrated. Conceptual
design studies show that with an electron beam current of about 500 mA and
with a cooling section of 20 m electron cooling in the 8.9 GeV/c Fermilab
Recycler ring can provide antiproton stacking rates suitable for the Tevatron
upgrades beyond Run II luminosity goals. A novel electron beam transport
scheme with a weak magnetic field at the cathode and in the cooling section,
and with discrete focusing elements in between will be used. A prototype
of such an electron cooling system is now being built at Fermilab as part
of the continuing R&D program.