M. Stambouli et al., EXPERIMENTAL-STUDY OF A MERCURY HIGH-PRESSURE DISCHARGE IN THE COURSEOF ITS START-UP PHASE, Journal of applied physics, 79(1), 1996, pp. 99-103
This work deals with an experimental study of the start-up phase of a
mercury high-pressure discharge. We demonstrate, by using electrical a
nd spectroscopic measurements, that a steady-state discharge can be sa
id to be equivalent to a specific stage of the warm-up phase if, for a
given current, are voltage together with several spectral line intens
ities are the same in both states. Subsequently using these measuremen
ts we were able to: (i) determine the evolution of the electric field
and the voltage drop at the electrodes in the course of a start-up pha
se; and (ii) establish that the determination of the excitation temper
ature of Hg and Ar excited levels gives us a first indication concerni
ng discharge thermalization and local thermodynamic equilibrium hypoth
esis limits. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.