Accession Number:

ADA230660

Title:

Operating Characteristics of Xenon Gas Discharges

Descriptive Note:

Master's thesis,

Corporate Author:

AIR FORCE INST OF TECH WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB OH

Personal Author(s):

• Ruark, Michael E.

Report Date:

1990-12-01

Pagination or Media Count:

103.0

Abstract:

The voltage-current and spectral line intensity-current characteristics were measured for four Xenon gas discharges. The four discharge configurations were made up of two tubes, each examined at pressures of 1 and 10 Torr. The first tube was a hot filament tube with a 1 cm radius, and the second a cold cathode type tube of radius .3 cm. Intensity dependence upon current was primarily linear in all cases with some important deviations. The hot filament tube at 10 Torr showed a large decrease in intensity between 4 and 6 mA in the 8409 angstrom line. This is thought to be connected with the onset of constriction in the discharge at this point. The coincidence of the upper level of this transition with several molecular ion levels of xenon, could account for quenching of this transition. JS

Descriptors:

• *IONS
• INTENSITY
• QUENCHING
• SPECTRAL ENERGY DISTRIBUTION
• HOT WIRE
• XENON
• TUBES
• SPECTRAL LINES
• COLD CATHODE TUBES
• MOLECULES
• GAS DISCHARGES

Subject Categories:

• Electrical and Electronic Equipment
• Atomic and Molecular Physics and Spectroscopy

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE