UV PRE-IONIZED THALLIUM-MERCURY DISCHARGE

Stable glow discharges have been demonstrated in thallium-mercury gas mixtures at mercury densities of 3×1019 and temperatures of 500-900°C. These discharges have shown themselves to be highly efficient in producing excited Tl (72S1/2) atoms and Tl-Hg B 2J1/2 excimer molecules. Discharge efficiency as high as 30±10% in producing Tl (72S1/2) and Tl-Hg B 2J1/2 points to the possibility of the creation of a Tl-Hg excimer laser operating at similar efficiencies. These highly efficient discharges are thought to be due to very fast transfer of energy from mercury excimers into Tl-Hg. The transfer cross section from excited molecular mercury to Tl (72S1/2) and Tl-Hg excimers is found to be approximately 1.2×10-14 cm2.