High-frequency electrodeless lamps in argon-mercury mixtures

In this paper, numerical and experimental investigations of high-frequency (HF) electrodeless lamps in argon-mercury mixtures are performed. The intensities of the mercury spectral lines having wavelengths λ ≤ 404.66, 435.83, 546.07 nm (7³S₁-6³P _0,1,2) and the resonance line λ ≤ 253.7 nm (6³ P₁-6¹S₀) are measured at a wide range of mercury pressures, varying the HF generator current and argon filling pressure. A stationary self-consistent model of HF electrodeless discharge lamp is developed including kinetics of the excited mercury and argon atomic states. Based on the developed model, the radiation characteristics of the discharge plasma are calculated. Numerical simulation of the line intensities behaviour in dependence on the mercury pressure, HF generator current and argon filling pressure is performed. The model results are in qualitative agreement with the experimental data. The calculations of the relative intensities of the visible triplet lines 7³S₁-6³P_0,1,2 are presented for the first time in this paper.