  We have studied ionizing collisions in a BEC of He*. Measurements of the ion
production rate combined with measurements of the density and number of atoms
for the same sample allow us to estimate both the 2 and 3-body contributions to
this rate. A comparison with the decay of the number of condensed atoms in our
magnetic trap, in the presence of an rf-shield, indicates that ionizing
collisions are largely or wholly responsible for the loss. Quantum depletion
makes a substantial correction to the 3-body rate constant.
