Electrostatic Modeling of the Jefferson Laboratory Inverted Ceramic Gun

Jefferson Laboratory (JLab) is currently developing a new 500kV DC electron gun for future use with the FEL. The design consists of two inverted ceramics which support a central cathode electrode. This layout allows for a load-lock system to be located behind the gun chamber. The electrostatic geometry of the gun has been designed to minimize surface electric field gradients and also to provide some transverse focusing to the electron beam during transit between the cathode and anode. This paper discusses the electrode design philosophy and presents the results of electrostatic simulations. The electric field information obtained through modeling was used with particle tracking codes to predict the effects on the electron beam.
Proceedings of the 1st International Particle Accelerator Conference, IPAC2010, Kyoto, Japan