Experimental and theoretical investigations of a low-pressure He-Xe discharge for lighting purpose

Low-pressure cylindrical dc glow discharges in a mixture of helium and 2% xenon are studied by experiment and self-consistent modeling. They can be used for the design of mercury-free vacuum ultraviolet sources and fluorescent lamps for publicity lighting. Experimental diagnostics of the column plasma includes measurements of the axial electric field strength and of the axis densities of the four lowest excited states of xenon. The electric field is determined from probe measurements. The particle densities are derived from the results of tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy. Experimental investigations are assisted by a self-consistent analysis of the dc positive column plasma. A comparison between calculated and measured values of the axial electric field strength and the densities of excited xenon atoms is presented and discussed. The validated model is used for optimization of the discharge conditions by variation of the discharge current, gas pressure, and tube radius with respect to the radiation power and efficiency of the 147 nm resonance line of xenon. The discussion includes an analysis of the power budget of the column plasma. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.