A xenon-iodine electric discharge bactericidal lamp

We present the working characteristics of a continuous UV lamp emitting at lambda = 206 nm, pumped by a longitudinal glow discharge. The pressure of the working Xe-I-2 gas-vapor mixture was within 0.1-10 kPa. The power deposited in the discharge was varied within 10-130 W. The current-voltage characteristics, the emission spectra in a 200-600 nm wavelength range, the line emission intensity as a function of the power deposited in the discharge plasma, and the partial pressure of xenon in the lamp were studied. It is established that the lamp operates in the range of 206-342 nm on a resonance line of iodine at 206 nm and on the bands at 253 nm [XeI(B-X)] and 342 nm [I-2(B-X)]. Not less than half of the output UV emission power is concentrated in the bactericidal spectral interval (around lambda = 206 nm). The total UV emission power of the lamp reaches 6-7 W at an efficiency of less than or equal to5%. (C) 2003 MAIK "Nauka/Interperiodica".