Spectral change mechanism in the pulsed high-pressure sodium arc

Abstract
The enhancement of radiative output of the pulsed high‐pressure sodium discharge in the blue region of the visible spectrum is due principally to radiation from the nd2D→3p2P transitions of the sodium atom where n=4–15. Excitation of these upper energy levels results from a transient non‐steady‐state increase in plasma temperature to about 5500 °K in the center of the arc. This temperature decays to a value near that encountered in steady‐state excitation conditions in a time comparable to the empirically optimized pulse duration and to the previously determined time for plasma temperature relaxation.

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