Iodine and mercury resonance lamps for kinetics experiments and their spectra in the far ultraviolet

Electrodeless iodine and mercury iodide radio-frequency discharge lamps have been made to provide intense sources of resonance radiation of iodine and mercury in the 183-253 nm region. Production technology and emission spectra in the ultraviolet and vacuum ultraviolet regions are described. Both lamps (iodine and mercury iodide) are designed and used for monitoring the iodine ²P_1/2 (206.163 nm) and ²P_3/2 (183.038 nm) level population kinetics after flash photolysis of I₂ or other precursor molecules in laboratory experiments. The technique is suitable for the investigation of the gas phase reaction kinetics following the photolysis of I₂ in the presence of O₃.