Intense Mercury‐Vapor Green‐Band Emission

Experiments on a high‐pressure and pulsed high‐current mercury vapor and argon discharge produced intense green‐band emission, but no laser action from the mercury metastable molecular state 3Ou− →1Σg+ (unstable ground‐state) transition. Voltage, arc constriction diameter, and band emission intensity are given as functions of current and pressure. The pumping rates are discussed with regard to reaching laser threshold gain and power saturation.