XENON RARE-GAS DIMER EMISSION FROM A SERIES OF LOCALIZED DISCHARGES

A series oi high-voltage localized last discharges was used in order t o investigate the possibility oi laser action in the UV of the Xe-2() dimer. Results concerning the Eight emission from a comb-like device related to the pressure, voltage, beam divergence, time profile, deity and bandwidth rat the emitted dimer fluorescence centred at 172.0 nm are presented. Our observations indicate that some amplification might be possible based on the beam confinement, the on-axis beam pulse sha pe and the intensity variation with the voltage observed in the presen t device.