At Goethe-University, a novel concept of heating metallic cathodes is currently under investigation. In the scope of the ARIES collaboration WP16, an RF-modulated electron gun was developed and manufactured for application in electron lenses for space charge compensation. The goal of this project is to increase the intensity of primary beams, especially in low energy booster synchrotrons like the SIS18 and SIS100 at GSI/FAIR or the SPS at CERN. The gun was designed to produce electron currents of 10 A at extraction voltages of 30 kV. The tungsten electron emitter (TE2) and the grid electrode were designed and manufactured to be integrated in the extractor of the original volume type ion source. Significant effort was put into a robust and flexible design with highly reliable key components. The cathode is heated by a plasma stream generated in the plasma chamber of the source. Different heating options of the cathode are currently being studied. This contribution presents the working principles of the electron gun and first measurements results of cathode heating.