Events at Physics |
This talk will take an affectionate and nostalgic backward look at the gas discharge research for lighting to which I have devoted much of my career. Most of the successes I have had would not have been possible without the inspiration, insight and friendship of Jim Lawler. The number of papers we have published together bears testimony to this. The talk will describe a journey along the paths we trod to understand how gases produce light, the fundamental principles involved, the experiment performed and the means of interpreting the results. Topics include studies of the negative glow, the positive column, and an extended look at “electrodeless“ fluorescent lamps and the efforts made to understand their performance. More recent efforts to produce electrodeless metal halides will be discussed, and finally a view on applications of discharge lamps in the expanding market of lighting for plant growth.