Combined field emission and multipactor simulation in high gradient RF accelerating structures

Field emitted electrons have important consequences in the operation of high-gradient RF accelerating structures both by generating so-called dark currents and initiating RF breakdown. The latter is an important limitation of the performance in such devices. Another kind of vacuum discharge that primarily affects the operation of lower-field RF components, for example those used in space applications, is multipactor. Theoretical simulations using CST Particle Studio, show that field emitted electrons generated in the high field regions of high-gradient accelerating cavities migrate to low field regions under ponderomotive forces potentially triggering multipactor there. This phenomenon is an interplay between high field and low field processes which may have as a consequence that multipactor actually affects to the performance of high-gradient cavities because field emitted electrons might reduce the timescales for the onset of multipactor.