Spectral Irradiance Enhancement from a Long Arc Xenon Lamp in the 460-495 nm Bandwidth with Metal Additives.
Abstract:
Long range, wide angle, deep ocean photographic systems require an intense, efficient, auxiliary lighting system due to the lack of sufficient natural illumination in the visible wavelength band and the magnitude of optical attenuation. A method of enhancing the spectral output from a pulsed long arc Xenon lamp in the 460-495 nm bandwidth, using metal additives was investigated. The light output from the lamp was generated by discharging a single mesh capacitor bank through the lamp. Initiation of the current pulse in the lamp was accomplished via an external trigger wire. Metal additives tested in the lamps included zinc, cadmium, and bismuth tri-iodide. Additive lamps with combinations of zinc and cadmium and bismuth tri-iodide and cadmium and zinc were also fabricated.