Reduction of ground state atom concentration in a boosted output discharge lamp

Abstract

Measurements of the concentration of ground state metal atoms in a boosted output discharge lamp show a ten-fold decrease in the number density when the boosting discharge is operating. Thisdecrease in the ground state population depends on the nature of the carrier gas, being most pronounced for neon, and also on the magnitude of the discharge current. Removal of atoms from the ground state is relatively slow, indicating that a heavy-body process is involved. Cataphoresis does not appear to play a significant role. The most likely process is shown to be aggregration of atoms to form clusters which are detected, for silver by measurements on an anomalous absorption band arising from Mie Scattering.