A description of the new 3D electron gun and collector modeling tool: MICHELLE

Summary form only given, as follows. A new 3D finite element gun and collector modeling code is under development at SAIC in collaboration with industrial partners and National Laboratories. This development program has been designed specifically to address the shortcomings of current simulation and modeling tools. In particular, although there are 3D gun codes that exist today, their ability to address fine scale features is somewhat limited in 3D due to disparate length scales of certain classes of devices. Additionally, features like advanced emission rules, including thermionic Child's law and comprehensive secondary emission models also need attention. The program specifically targets problems classes including gridded-guns, sheet-beam guns, multi-beam devices, and anisotropic collectors. The presentation provides an overview of the program objectives, the approach to be taken by the development team, and a status of the project.