Microwave thermionic electron gun for synchrotron light sources

Abstract

Thermionic RF guns are the source of electrons used in many practical applications, such as drivers for synchrotron light sources, preferred for their compactness and efficiency. RadiaBeam Systems has developed a new thermionic RF gun for the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory, which would offer substantial improvements in reliable operations with robust interface between the thermionic cathode and the cavity, as well as better RF performance, compared to existing models. This improvement became possible by incorporating new pi-mode electromagnetic design, robust cavity back plate design, and a cooling system that will allow stable operation for up to 1 A of beam current and 100 Hz rep rate at 3.0 μs RF pulse length, and 70 MV/m peak on axis field in the cavity. In this paper we discuss the electromagnetic and engineering design of the cavity and provide the test results of the new gun.