LIGHT SCANNING ON EXTERNAL SLEEVE DISCHARGE IN HALOGENS

Abstract

It has been verified that the Joshi effect (the photovariation, enhancement +Δi, and diminution −Δi of the discharge current i) in halogen-filled discharge tubes, excited by a transformer discharge of 50-cycle potentials using external sleeve electrodes, is associated with the electrode regions and predominantly with the high-tension (HT) electrode region. The techniques of (i) partial irradiation and (ii) varying the irradiated length of the discharge column starting from either electrode were used and the Joshi effect was observed with (i) a reflection galvanometer and (ii) a cathode-ray oscillograph. The effect of scattered light from the illuminated glass side of the discharge tube and the gas or vapor reaching either electrode was minimized by increasing the spacing of the electrodes and using low gas pressures.It has also been verified that the applied field is one of the factors that determine the magnitude and sign of the Joshi effect. The maximum magnitude of +Δi was observed at the breakdown value (in the dark) of the applied field; the reversal in sign of Δi and maximum magnitude of −Δi were attained by only a small rise in the applied field above that required for the breakdown of the system in the dark.