Abstract

Highly reproducible light sources using sliding sparks through polyethylene capillaries are described. They emit an essentially continuous spectrum which can be used for absorption measurements or as a secondary intensity standard. The light pulses (reproducible within ±4%) can be triggered with jitter times shorter than ±5 nsec and with a typical half-duration of 60 nsec. In consequence of the high electron density (2.5×10¹⁹ cm⁻³) achieved, the visible continuum intensity (a typical value being 1.0×10¹¹ W cm⁻³ sr⁻¹ at 4340 Å) follows approximately the blackbody radiation law. The corresponding temperature (450 000°K) is in agreement with the observation of lines and free-bound continua of highly-ionized carbon ions (C v and C vi) in the soft x-ray region.

© 1968 Optical Society of America

A Fast High-Intensity-Pulse Light Source for Flash Photolysis

Ernst G. Niemann and Max Klenert
Appl. Opt. 7(2) 295-299 (1968)

Study of the X Rays Produced by a Vacuum Spark

Leonard Cohen, Uri Feldman, Marvin Swartz, and J. H. Underwood
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 58(6) 843-846 (1968)

Radiation from Laser-Heated Plasmas in Nitrogen and Argon*

J. W. Daiber and J. G. Winans
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 58(1) 76-80 (1968)

Photoionization and Absorption Coefficients of N₂O*

G. R. Cook, P. H. Metzger, and M. Ogawa
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 58(1) 129-136 (1968)

Capacitor Discharge through a Capillary Used as a Spectroscopic Source

Po Lee
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 55(7) 783-786 (1965)