This paper is the continuation of a technical paper which is called "Detailed Electromagnetic Design of an Integrated and Compact 1.3 GHz Superconducting Radio Frequency (SRF) Electron Source" [1]. In the previous paper, we examined if a promising RF electromagnetic design of the gun and cathode region could be achieved. Further, we examined if this gun region could be fully integrated, in terms of the electromagnetic RF design, with the rest of the accelerator, keeping in mind the overall goal of compactness and reduction of duplicative infrastructure commonly associated with separated function electron guns and structures. While we convinced ourselves thus far that the RF electromagnetic design of our concept is feasible, we also needed to perform particle tracking to assess the beam properties through the entire system, understand and remediate any beam loss. For this step, we examined the cathode region and analyzed the gating process of the thermionic cathode, as losses would most likely be attributed to releasing electrons into the accelerating structure during an unfavorable phase window.
There exists a need for compact, reliable, high-power electron sources for applications including those in water treatment, basic science, defense, and security. There also exists a need for compact electron-beam based light and power sources of various power levels and at different frequencies (mm-wave to gamma rays) for applications also in the fields of basic science, industry, and defense and security. Today's examples of high-average-power electron sources are neither very compact nor highly efficient. The same may be said for many of the electron-beam based light sources operated worldwide for myriad of applications. Recent breakthroughs in superconducting (SC) materials technology, radio-frequency (RF) power systems, specialized cathodes, and RF cavity designs offer ways to overcome the above-mentioned shortcomings. In this report, all these new features are integrated in a comprehensive design into one promising concept for a compact superconducting RF (SRF) high-average power electron linear accelerator. This design is capable of 5-50 kW average electron beam power and continuous wave operation with the corresponding electron beam energy up to 10 MeV.
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