Radiometry of Low-Pressure Hg-Ar Discharges

Published

August 1, 2001

Author(s)

Craig J. Sansonetti, Joseph Reader

Abstract

New fluorescent lamp designs employ Hg-Ar discharges under operating conditions that differ significantly from those found in conventional fluorescent tubes. We have studied the radiant output of Hg-Ar discharges over a wide range of Ar pressure, Hg vapor pressure, and discharge current in test lamps of 5-mm and 23-mm diameter. Radiances for the 185 nm and 254 nm lines of Hg have been determined by direct comparison to a radiometric standard argon miniarc. Radiances for 12 additional lines in the ultraviolet and visible spectrum have been determined with lower accuracy by using the calibrated response of our spectrometer/detector system. These data should be valuable for validation of computer models of Hg-Ar discharges in the regimes important for new lamp designs. We describe the experiment and present representative data.

Proceedings Title

Science and Technology of Light Sources, International Symposium | 9th | | Institute for Low-Temperature Plasma Physics

Conference Dates

August 12-16, 2001

Conference Title

International Symposium on the Science and Technology of Light Sources

Pub Type

Conferences

Keywords

fluorescent lamp, Hg-Ar discharge, lighting, mercury, radiometry

Citation

Sansonetti, C. and Reader, J. (2001), Radiometry of Low-Pressure Hg-Ar Discharges, Science and Technology of Light Sources, International Symposium | 9th | | Institute for Low-Temperature Plasma Physics (Accessed October 7, 2025)