Evaluation of the thermal regime of the cathode operation of a high-voltage glow discharge electron gun, which forms a ribbon electron beam

Abstract

The article discusses the various methods of estimating the surface cathode temperature of the high-voltage glow discharge electron gun, which forms a ribbon electron beam with a linear focus. Numerical estimations have been made to design the cathode assembly of an industrial gun. It is shown that the most effective way to make approximate estimates of the temperature of the cathode surface in high-voltage glow discharge electron guns for various technological purposes is to use arithmetic-logical ratios for modeling the geometry of the cathode assembly and locus functions for estimating the temperature distribution. The accuracy of such estimates, made using the heat balance equation, was 5–10%, sufficient at the initial stage of designing an electron gun. It is shown that using the SolidWorks CAD software complex for designing high-voltage glow discharge electron guns is effective only for solving the complex engineering design tasks and preparing the corresponding technical documentation. The results of the theoretical research published in the article are of interest to a wide range of specialists engaged in developing electron beam equipment and its implementation in industrial production.