Ultraviolet emission from argon water-vapor mixtures excited with low-energy electron beams -: art. no. 011502

A 310-nm-ultraviolet light source operating at the OH (A (2)Sigma(+)-->X (2)Pi) transition is presented. The OH band is emitted from argon water-vapor mixtures excited with low-energy (15 keV) electron beams. The light output is studied in the argon pressure range from 250 to 1000 hPa. In this study, the highest OH band intensity was observed at the lowest Ar pressure and a water-vapor concentration of about 0.02%. An efficiency of 3% for converting electron beam power into light emission was measured under these conditions. (C) 2005 American Institute of Physics.