Cylindrical glow-discharge-pumped excimer lamps

The results of investigations of the emission of glow discharges in mixtures of inert gases and halogens in cylindrical tubes of various dimensions are presented. Glow-discharge-pumped XeCl* and KrCl* excimer lamps with a homogeneous spatial distribution of the radiation and powers up to 100 W are created. It is shown that the high efficiency of excimer lamps of this type is achieved as a result of the effective formation of exciplexes in a harpoon reaction and the slow rate of their quenching in the glow-discharge plasma at low pressures of the working mixture. Zh. Tekh. Fiz. 68, 64–68 (February 1998)     

Pumping of lasers and lamps by discharges based on the background-electron multiplication waves

Experimental realization of a new discharge type, i.e., the discharge representing a background-electron multiplication wave, is considered. Experimental and theoretical data illustrating the applicability of this discharge type to excitation of laser and lamp radiation sources are presented.     

Electron flux spatial distribution in an ultrashort avalanche electron beam generated at atmospheric air pressure

The results of experimental study on generation of ultrashort avalanche electron beams (UAEB) in gas-filled diodes are considered. The spatial distribution of the flux of runaway electrons and X-rays generated in the gas diode fed by nanosecond high-voltage pulses was studied. It was shown that the UAEB in the gas-filled diode (at an air pressure of 1 atm) with sharply nonuniform electric field is generated from the interelectrode region into a solid angle exceeding 2π sr. Narrowing of the cathode-anode gap results in a decrease in the current amplitude of the beam generated to side walls of the gas diode and an increase in the beam current pulse duration in both axial and radial directions. Current pulses of the beam initiated from the side surface of the tubular cathode were detected.     

Possible application of a volume avalanche discharge initiated by an electron beam for designing a krypton dimer laser

The emissive and amplifying properties of volume nanosecond discharge plasma formed at high pressures in krypton have been investigated theoretically and experimentally. It is theoretically shown that lasing can be obtained in this type of discharge at krypton pressures exceeding 6–7 atm. In the discharge gap with a cathode of small curvature radius, volume discharge without preliminary ionization is obtained at a high pressure and intense krypton dimer emission that peaks at a wavelength of 146 nm is detected. It is shown that, upon excitation by a volume avalanche discharge initiated by an electron beam, no less than 90% of the energy in the range 120–540 nm is emitted by krypton dimers. At a krypton pressure of 1.5 atm, an energy of ～30 mJ of spontaneous emission into the total solid angle and a radiation pulse width at half maximum of ～240 ns are obtained.     

Inflections of spark leaders in elevated-pressure nanosecond gas discharges

The formation of spark leaders and a diffuse discharge due to the breakdown of gaps with a non-uniform electric field is studied in different elevated-pressure gases under the conditions of runaway electron beam and X-ray generation. Negative voltage pulses are applied to an electrode with a small radius of curvature. For pulse rise times of 0.5 and 1.5 ns, inflections on the spark leaders were observed. In a number of cases, two inflections appear making a right angle to the longitudinal axes of the leaders. It is shown that the formation of spark leaders is preceded by the appearance of diffuse tracks, which bridge the gap for no longer than 1 ns.     

The nature of emitting microdischarges in barrier-discharge lamps

The nature of the microdischarges of the barrier discharge is studied. The distribution of the fields generated in the discharge gap by charges on the dielectric surface is determined, the microdischarge parameters are estimated, and the results obtained are compared with the experimental data.