Point cathode electron gun using electron bombardment for cathode tip heating: numerical study of heating condition for high brightness operation

The cathode tip heating in a point cathode electron gun has been studied with numerical methods. In this gun, a straightened tungsten wire of 0.1 mm diameter is used as the cathode, and the tip part of it is locally heated by electron bombardment. The heating improves the cathode life and the gun is operated at higher cathode temperature. The gun operation requires heating conditions that confines the cathode evaporation to the tip part and keeps the temperature variation of the cathode during the evaporation small. The time variations of the temperature distribution and the cathode shape were calculated for different heating conditions. The methods and results are described, and the heating condition that is suitable for the high brightness operation of this type of gun is discussed.