New electrodeless light source excited by a microwave immersed in a uniform static magnetic field

Low-pressure discharges excited by a microwave (f = 2.45 GHz) supplemented with a static magnetic field are studied for possible use as new electrodel ess Light sources. When the magnetic field strength is increased over the r ange of the electron cyclotron resonance (ECR), the light intensity emitted from the mercury lamp is more than 4.6 times that at B = 0 in high-power o peration of the microwave. In the case of low-power operation of the microw ave, the light intensity measured at the ECR point is increased to about th ree times that at B = 0, although the total maximum intensity of the emitte d light is weaker than that in high-power case. The mechanism of the increm ent of fight intensity in the high-power case is discussed with using the m odel of a helicon wave excitation.