Rockwell International Corporation

David J Benard

David F Beat

Robert H Cohn

Power is provided to a fluorescent lamp by connecting a source of alternating electrical current, consisting of a series of alternately positive and negative current pulses, to the lamp and shaping the current pulses such that the absolute value of the current increases as a function of time within each pulse. The shaped current source may be provided by a switched mode drive circuit, including a power transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding, the power transformer secondary winding being connected to the lamp; a flyback transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding, a first terminal of the flyback transformer primary winding being connected to the center of the power transformer primary winding and a second terminal of the flyback transformer primary winding being connected to a positive terminal of a source of direct current electrical power; a first switch connected between a first terminal of the power transformer primary winding and a negative terminal of the power source; a second switch connected between a second terminal of the power transformer primary winding and the negative terminal of the power source; a diode connected between a first terminal of the flyback transformer secondary winding and the second terminal of the flyback transformer primary winding, such that current is limited to flowing from the secondary winding to the primary winding of the flyback transformer; and a capacitor connected between the first and second terminals of the power source. A digital control circuit may be coupled to the first and second switches to open and close the switches in a time sequenced pattern, thereby causing the current pulses to be shaped such that the absolute value of the current increases as a function of time within each pulse.

Fluorescent lamp with improved efficiency

Electronically excited nitrogen fluoride, NF*, is generated by dissociating fluoride azide, FN.sub.3. In a preferred embodiment, the FN.sub.3 is reacted with vibrationally excited molecules such as hydrogen halide, deuterium halide, carbon dioxide, or nitrogen. In second and third embodiments, the FN.sub.3 is dissociated by laser pumping or by detonation. The NF* can provide a short wavelength laser by pumping the NF(b-X) transition in a resonant chamber or by the addition of an emitting species such as BiF to convert the stored energy of the NF* to photons from the emitting species.

Method for generating electronically excited NF for use in a laser

A gaseous mixture comprising iodine, oxygen and fluorine gases is circulated in a closed loop system 16 through a laser cavity 14. The gases in the cavity 14 are pumped by infrared laser radiation 12 from an iodine laser 10. A set of reactions occurs in the cavity 14 resulting in the production of excited, iodine monofluoride, molecules [IF**(B)] which emit laser radiation in the visible spectrum.

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Thousand Oaks, CA, United States of America

David J Benard